Clarity
by Sassafras1009
Summary: Set 18 months after the events of "the girl next door", Adrien, Marinette and Rin are now tackling their first year of high school, and the Akumas are becoming more brutal. Rin is still weakened from the events 18 months prior, a new villian revealed herself, Chloe's actually... nice? A new classmate joins their adventures, and who keeps trying to help Rin recover? Bleach OC.
1. teasing Adrien

I do not own Miraculous: tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, nor do I own Bleach. I only own my OCs. I do not make a cent on this story, it's purely for fun.

This story is a sequel to The girl next door, if you haven't read that one yet, I suggest you do. It isn't my best work, I will admit but I felt it necessary to write it first to explain the back story to this one. Happy reading!

* * *

Sixteen-year-old Adrien Agreste sat on a school bus as they travelled along the road, his best friend for the past year sat on one side of him, across the walk way of the bus at the center. Beside Nino was his girlfriend Alya, and next to Adrien was a blue haired girl, watching the scenery as the bus continued its journey. Marinette no longer stiffened up whenever she saw him like she had in the first year together. Actually at one point last year, he'd helped her out by acting as an interpreter when her great-Uncle had visited from China, however Adrien still had the feeling she was holding something back. He was grateful to her great-uncle though, because that was the first day she seemed to really relax around him, and talk without stuttering too much.

The white haired girl in front of him turned around and smiled at Adrien, "Excited?"

Adrien gave a small chuckle and a friendly smile to the teenaged girl, who hadn't appeared to age or grow in the past year, she'd kept her hair the same length and wore the same half-up style she always wore.

"You know, you should do something different with your hair," Adrien suggested.

Rin quirked a brow, "Touch my hair, Golden boy, you'll wish you hadn't."

This made Adrien give a deep belly laugh. From the corner of her eye Rin caught Marinette's soured facial expression, confirming exactly what she'd suspected.

"Miss Wantanabe, please sit properly on the bus," their teacher, Madame Montclair requested.

Rin gave a sheepish look and offered an apology as she turned around again. Adrien looked to Marinette and felt his stomach lurch. She looked nearly ready to commit murder.

"Something wrong Mari?"

"No," Marinette lied.

"Marinette, come on, that look you're giving right now isn't really like you," Adrien coaxed.

"I'm fine," Marinette rephrased.

"Right, and I'm the lead in Swan Lake," Rin offered, hoping the blue haired teen would catch on.

Marinette's eyes widened as she stared at the back of Rin's head, "Wait a second… last year, were you in a chat room for College Francois Dupont students?"

"I was," Rin confirmed.

"You're SnowyXTiger, aren't you?"

Rin turned her head as far to Marinette as she could without turning her body, "I am. Fashionista_Sweets, right?"

Marinette nodded, "Yes, but then-who was-"

Rin gave a slight nod of her head towards Adrien, "StrayCat04."

Marinette looked to Adrien with her mouth gaped, "really?"

"Guilty," Adrien admitted with a pink blush tinting his cheeks.

"We met at Fencing Practice the next day," Rin added.

Marinette gave a saddened look, "Then… I wasn't really your first friend other than Nino, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," Rin replied before Adrien could.

"While Adrien and I understood each other, and spoke occasionally, we were more acquaintances than friends," Rin told Marinette.

"Well, at least in the beginning, now I'd say we're friends but it wasn't nearly as fast happening as you and Adrien becoming friends," Rin confirmed.

"Only reason he started talking to me so much was he felt sure Nino was going to start smacking him around everytime he mentioned how much he missed you while you were in China this past summer," Rin concluded.

"Rin!"

Marinette glanced at Adrien to see his entire face now held the red glow of a deep blush, she didn't even know someone could turn that red faced so quickly. Is that what she'd looked like whenever she stumbled over herself around him last year?

Rin gave a slight chuckle then she turned serious, "And during that time… came an anniversary of something I wish I could forget. He helped me through it, and we've been friends since."

Marinette would be lying if she tried to say she wasn't curious about what Rin meant by an anniversary, but the way she spoke of it, the edge to her voice, the tears seeped into her words, she thought better than to push it further.

"He really is a sweet guy," Marinette offered.

Rin nodded in agreement.

"Dude, if you blush anymore you'll turn purple," Nino joked, although he was actually fairly serious. The poor blonde haired emerald eyed model did look like he was about to die from embarrassment.

"I don't know any of you," Adrien growled as he pulled up the hood on his jacket and tried to will himself into invisibility.

Rin had her eyes closed, and a hand daintily held over her mouth as she silently quaked with suppressed laughter. Since finding out a few things about Marinette and Adrien, she was finding it particularly challenging to not tease the Agreste heir.

The bus came to its full stop shortly after, as everyone stood and followed the trip's organizer out of the bus. Chloe growled, "I'm going to get bitten by so many mosquitos! This is just awful. Why couldn't it be sunbathing day? Why do we have to go hiking? Ugh."

Rin fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead gave Marinette an unamused look and gestured with her head towards Chloe.

Marinette nodded in agreement as they made their way off the bus, Rin had a pink backpack slung over her shoulder.

"I don't get you," Chloe stated looking directly at Rin.

Rin gave a small smirk before asking, "What precisely do you have difficulty understanding?"

"First off, you talk like you're from another era. Get with it, and start learning some slang. Second, why do you dress like that? Third, who says you can talk to my Adrikins? Fourth, what is with you and pink? You're like another Mari-trash," Chloe erupted with a series of inquiries that left Rin completely unfazed.

The white haired girl grabbed the model's wrist, and began inspecting him as if searching for something.

Chloe's unamused voice interrupted her thought process with the demanding question, "what are you doing?"

"You claimed he's yours, so I'm checking, and what do ya know? I don't see your name anywhere on him," Rin replied with a cheshire smirk, "So he can't be yours, can he? He is his own person and whom he choses to be friends with is none of your concern."

Chloe's jaw dropped but Rin continued on, her tone not taking an edge to it, or giving into Chloe's taunting one bit.

"I speak this way because frankly, until three years ago, I only spoke Japanese. I'm finding French to be a little easier to master but I would not call myself well enough versed to be a sensei yet,"

"Sensei?" Chloe spat back with venom in her tone.

"Teacher, Chloe. She wouldn't want to teach French to anyone yet," Adrien intervened on Rin's behalf.

Rin nodded in agreement.

"As for my choice of clothes? Why does it matter to you what I wear? It is my body and my choice, so long as I break no school rules regarding attire, there's no issues. Lastly, yes I happen to like pink quite a bit, just as you seem to be obsessed with yellow and gold. Or do you only like yellow because it reminds you of gold which is thought to symbolize wealth but in fact symbolizes slavery," Rin concluded.

"What?!" Chloe demanded.

"It's true. Your love of gold only conveys that you accept that slavery is an acceptable as a means of obtaining something that's of value to you. Quite an ugly characteristic, if you were to ask me, but I notice you don't even seem to care what your friends think or even feel. As such, I'm not concerning myself with how you think of me, Chloe. If anyone should concern themselves with a public image, it is you who should be worried," Rin clarified.

Marinette's jaw dropped. That confirmed it alright, Rin was most definitely SnowyXTiger from the chatroom last year. Adrien kept quiet and didn't change his expression. He'd seen Rin take down a hollow in one hit, standing up to an everyday garden variety bully was as simple to her as obtaining a cup of water.

Chloe stuck her nose up in the air as she turned away from Rin.

"Totally awesome," Marinette complimented.

"It's nothing," Rin stated as she focused her attention on the teachers who were beginning to discuss safety during the hike.

Marinette quickly regarded Rin's attire. She was wearing pink hued camouflage cargo pants and a plain blue t-shirt with cupped sleeves, and finished the look with pink and white running shoes.

"So you know, I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're wearing," Marinette whispered to Rin.

Rin snuck Marinette a quick smile of appreciation while she thought to herself, _'No wonder why Master Fu chose her to be Ladybug.'_

"I'll pair up with Rin, I mean, if that's okay?" A boy called out.

Rin inwardly groaned, the boy was in her class and was undeniably annoying, although she had a very clear idea of why, it didn't absolve her irritation at his frequent attempts to be alone with her, in fact in heightened her irritability. Her bus had been horrendously filled but thanks to Sabrina taking ill that day there'd been a spare seat on the bus with Adrien's class. The guy had actually offered to let Rin ride on his lap the whole way to the hiking trail causing the white haired girl to threaten to put him on ice. Why had she even done that? She clearly wasn't thinking.

"I'll pair with her," Marinette and Adrien both offered simultaneously.

Rin blinked a bit before giving them an appreciative smile in their directions, "You're both too kind."

The boy scowled a bit, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Marinette and Adrien, you're in a different class from her, I'm afraid that is simply not possible," Madam Montclair stated.

Rin gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and shot the two a look that said 'thanks anyway.'

' _Guess I'm stuck with the guy that's crushing on me…. God please don't let him confess anytime soon. I'm just not ready,'_ Rin inwardly pleaded, she felt her throat begin to tighten with grief as the thought washed over her. She gently held forehead and gave her head a quick shake.

"Rin?" Marinette asked.

Chloe even blinked and appeared to have a concerned expression on her face.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Rin lied.

"Don't quit your day job, you've got friends you know," Adrien added.

"I know," Rin confirmed, "But I'm okay."


	2. The apocalypse is coming

As the two of them hiked along the trail, following the teachers the boy who had offered to be paired with Rin, Justin Girard, made an attempt to hold her hand. Rin moved her hand from his touch with cat like reflexes.

This earned her a puzzled and wounded expression from the boy whose blue eyes seemed to almost blush at the response. He shyly ran a hand through his red hair before asking, "Do I scare you?"

"No," Rin replied. It wasn't a full lie. She'd faced down Arrancar and Menos Grande that were the size of the Eiffle tower in the past.

Justin however wasn't convinced, "If you took a chance to get to know me, maybe I wouldn't scare you."

"Being honest here, it isn't you, it's me," Rin answered, firmly.

Chloe was walking with Nathanael and catching bits of the conversation as they walked, despite the fact that Rin wouldn't hesitate to cut her down, Chloe also didn't like the pressure this guy was putting on her. Pressure that he seemed to think was completely valid.

"If you're going to reject me, you can at least be honest," Justin snapped.

This grabbed Adrien and Marinette's attention as they both spun around but what they saw made their jaws drop.

As they'd spun around so had Nathanael and Chloe, but it was Chloe's warning that threw them off, "Look pal, she's told you as nicely as possible that she isn't interested. Take that answer and drop the topic or you won't like what happens next. If you keep harassing her, I won't hesitate to make your life a living hell!"

The blonde haired girl then threw her arm around Rin and pulled her close to herself while Nathanael slunk back with Justin.

"Man, I get it ya know? I mean I've liked Marinette for over a year now but I'd be blind if I didn't see that she's into someone else," Nathanael offered in a near whisper, just loud enough for Justin to hear him.

Justin nodded a bit but still felt the sting of embarrassment from both Rin's rejection and Chloe's berating but instead he answered Nathanael with, "I just wish I knew why."

Nathanael paused for a moment before replying, "I overheard her speaking with Marinette and Adrien earlier… apparently this summer was the anniversary of something and it really upset her. Just an idea but maybe it's something to do with that? I don't know, man. All I can suggest is just give her space and give it time.

Justin nodded in a agreement.

"So you don't have to tell me anything, just listen okay? I've never dated anyone. I've only ever had my eyes set on one person, but it's clear that he likes someone else. What I do know is how little interest my daddy's had in dating since my mom died. It's been a few years, but even now he just… doesn't see a need to date? I guess that's the best way to put it? All I'm saying is, no matter how things go, if your feelings aren't returned or if the relationship ends either through running its course or fate takes them away from you, it takes time to recover and if that's what you're going through, don't let someone else make you feel like you have to give them a chance. You don't owe them anything," Chloe offered Rin, quietly.

Rin felt an urge to squeeze her eyes shut tightly, gave her head a strong shake and smacked the side of her head with an open palm. Chloe was just nice to her? Really? Chloe Bourgeois?! The apocalypse was really coming. It had to be. The only person she'd ever seen Chloe be nice to, only because she wanted into his wallet and eventually his pants, was Adrien.

Instead of acting on impulse, Rin gave a small nod of acknowledgement along with a verbal, "Thanks Chloe."

Rin bit her lip a little, 'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I have to know if she's in danger.'

Steeling her nerves Rin looked to Chloe and asked, "About how long has it been since your Mom passed?"

Chloe shrugged, "About—five years, I guess? I don't know, really. I try not to think about it."

Rin nodded a bit before admitting, "You're right you know… about me. I did lose someone close… they're never coming back. It was just before I moved to Paris."

Chloe pulled Rin in close and confessed, "Well, anyone will tell you I'm not the best for advice, and I don't think anyone needs to tell you I'm not the nicest person… I guess I kind of closed myself off after she passed, but I know what it's like to lose someone you're close to, if you ever need a shoulder."

Rin nodded, swallowing her saliva a little, "Thanks."

"Can I ask what happened or-?" she stopped when she saw Rin's expression.

"I'm sorry," Chloe apologized.

"It's been over a year, but it's still pretty raw to me. I prefer not to talk about it," Rin agreed.

Chloe nodded in understanding as they kept on their trail.

Marinette regarded Adrien, "That's what you helped her through this summer?"

Adrien nodded a bit, "Yeah… hey Rin, is it okay if I- umm…"

Rin gave a weak smile and nodded, "Long as I don't have to tell the tale… or hear it."

Adrien nodded as he moved slightly closer to Marinette, "You see… before Rin left Japan there was a guy… they were always friends growing up but they'd begun to have feelings for each other but before Rin had figured out how she wanted to tell him… there was a tsunami, and he drowned."

Marinette held her hand over her mouth briefly considering if something happened to Adrien before she had a chance to tell him how she felt.

' _She likes someone else? Is that it? Who? I'll fight him for her,'_ Justin thought to himself as he inwardly growled Nathanael's eyes grew wide as he recognized an angry expression on Justin's face. He gripped his hiking partner by the waist and headed off away from the others. Kim and Ivan exchanged glances before following after them.

"Alright guys, we're at a nice clearing here, let's get in our lunches, if anyone needs the facilities the out houses are right here, and yes you heard that right, out houses. No running water out here for miles, unless you count the bodies of water," Madame Montclair announced.

' _Yeah you don't need to tell me… just hope I don't drown in it,'_ Rin thought to herself as she glanced behind her at the wood and rope bridge that seemed ready to rot away anyday now. Not safe at all, at least not to her eyes.

Chloe didn't think Rin could lose anymore colour to herself but she did pale about two shades as she looked over the bridge.

"Are you alright?"

Marinette's voice broke through Rin's thoughts, her voice seemingly to snap her out of her trance.

"Yeah, I just… I'm not crazy about water," Rin confided.

Marinette offered her a smile, "Don't worry. I know Adrien can swim, and so can I."

"They're not the only ones," Chloe offered.

Adrien gave a slight chuckle, "right, I forgot… miss water baby over there. I'm a stronger swimmer than her though."

Rin bit her lip a little as she sat as far away from the edge of the river as possible. It wasn't just the river, the one Shinigami skill she didn't have in her gigai was to stand on reiatsu in midair, if she fell the odds of falling on the rocky bottom, cracking her gigai's skull open was very realistically the outcome.

Rin opened up her bento box and picking up the chopsticks began eating.

"Oh that looks so good," Chloe gushed as she regarded Rin's bento.

Rin blushed a little.

"I love sushi," Chloe confessed.

"Really? Well, I make my own," Rin replied.

"Is Chloe actually…"

"Y-yeah, don't ask why. I mean first she's putting Rin down and now—I don't know what the game is," Adrien stated with a shrug of his shoulders as he sat down and prepared himself for a low fat low calorie atrocity within his own lunch, his jaw dropped when he saw what Marinette had for lunch, not just the contents, but the amount.

"I figured I'd bring enough to share, I know you don't get to have a lot of sweets, and I also know that you rarely get enough to actually fill you," Marinette admitted.

Adrien smiled a bit and blinked as a stick of Mitarashi dango was placed on his lunch box as well.

"I know it's the one thing from Japan you really like," Rin offered as she went back to sit with Chloe.

"Man, just calm down, please… you don't know what happens when you get like this," Nathanael pleaded with him.

Justin snarled at Nathanael as he swung his fist at him.

Kim caught his swing and kept his eyes glued to Justin's before he spoke, "he's right you know. Right before I was akumatized, I felt horribly embarrassed and heart broken."

"She's rejecting me for someone else… I'll cream him!"

Kim tightened his grip on Justin's fist, "She's rejecting you for who? Nathanael? If not, it makes no sense to harm him in order to gain her, does it?"

"Let go! You don't understand. Nobody understands!" Justin screamed as he wrenched his fist from Kim's grasp and ran off away from the rest of the group.

Kim and Nathanael exchanged glances before the two of them raced back towards the others.

Justin headed back towards the others, his blood seething, he was so angry he heard his own blood pumping in his ears _, 'I will have my Queen!'_

He didn't notice the purple butterfly that entered his green hoodie as a purple outline of a mask appeared on his face.

"Yes Hawkmoth," Justin replied to the voice within his head as dark energy engulfed him.

Rin paused in lifting the sushi to her mouth as she regarded the shift in spiritual pressure around her. She'd quickly realized that Akumatized victims, who often suffered an injury to their heart resulting in their strong negative emotions, felt a lot like hollows to her, but was certain that if an akumatized victim ever did die, they would hollowfy instantly. Which one was this, Akuma? Or maybe it was a hollow?

Setting her sushi and the chopsticks down Rin stood in a near robotic fashion before she spun and blocked a massive green fist from grasping her. The Akumatized victim let out a deafening roar as he grasped Rin and lifted her up over his head.

Adrien dropped the last of his croissant onto the grass as he stared open mouthed at the latest victim, he undeniably resembled the Hulk featured in the comic books he'd read, while the Hulk was considered to be a hero, he also had a deep in explicable rage that would often get out of control and the angrier he got, the larger and stronger he got. Was this Akuma going to be the same.

"You gross monster! Let her go!" Chloe bellowed at them.

The walked over to the edge of the river, wrapping his massive green hand around Rin's midsection, pinning her arms to her sides with his gigantic fingers as he ripped apart the rope and wood bridge.

Rin's eyes widened as she quickly realized what was likely about to happen.

"Everyone let's go!" Madame Montclair shouted as the students hurried away from the scene.

Chloe charged at the green monster and threw herself at his arm that held Rin tightly in its fist. Wrapping her arms around his as strongly as she could she let go on one arm and began hammering her clenched fist against his shoulder. "I said let her go!"

"Chloe! Stop it," Marinette exclaimed. She'd seen enough already to know this could only in a tragedy.

The rest of the class had ran away but Chloe stayed latched onto the Hulk's massive arm.

Adrien realized exactly what was about to happen and felt he was watching in slow motion as the soul reaper who had actually helped him gain the freedom to go to school was thrown from the monster's giant fist, her terrified scream reached through the heartbeat thumping in his ears and he felt as if his body was moving of its own accord as he watched her fall.

Chloe seemed poised to throw herself off after her, Marinette held Chloe back and quickly made an assessment that made her heart drop below the soles of her feet, _'There's nothing there for Ladybug's yo-yo to wrap around! Oh Rin'_

She let out a scream when she saw Adrien had launched himself off the cliff after Rin, and propelled himself in the air as if he was swimming.

"Adrien!" Both girls cried out from the top of the cliff.

What Marinette heard next rang in her ears. Adrien's voice travelled up to them as he called out loud, "Plagg, claws out!"


	3. Secrets Revealed

From up above Marinette and Chloe watched in stunned silence as a bright green light swallowed up Adrien, then the next second Chat Noir held Rin's wrist in one hand, the other hand grasped his staff which had extended into either sides of the rocky walls that would've become a watery grave.

Below them, Rin looked up into Adrien's masked face she was shocked into silence. Now that he grasped her she should've used Bakudo 37 to save herself. Yet when her mind panicked despite her training, when she was helpless, here he was. He was a friend to her, and every bit as selfless as the friend she'd lost back home.

"Adrien," She finally spoke as she looked up at him.

"You revealed yourself, over me?"

"Well, I don't think Mamoru'd like me too much if he knew his great-grand nephew, or whatever I'd be to him, just let you become Soul reaper paste," Adrien joked.

Rin gave a soft grin and nodded a bit in agreement, "I see."

"Can you climb up?"

Rin nodded as she swung her other arm up and grasped his wrist with both hands, pulling herself up and onto his back then climbing a bit more still until she could wrap her arms around his neck, her legs were wrapped around his waist, tightly, her ankles locking her in place.

"Besides that Rin, I owe you my life… without you. I never would've made any of my friends, I don't think I need to tell you what they mean to me. It's because of you that I had a way to meet them. Hang on, this is gonna get scary. "

An anguished enraged bellowing roar up above them gave an indication of just how scary things were about to get as the Hulk like Akuma began to sprout scales and grew a spiked tail.

Marinette gained a determined look on her face, "I've had about enough of you. If the cat's out of the bag, then the bug's coming out too."

Chloe looked at Marinette in bewilderment.

Marinette kept her eyes on the Akuma as she called out, "Tikki, Spots on!"

Chloe didn't think her jaw would drop any further down but it did as she watched Marinette call out her transformation and be consumed by a bright pink light. When the light faded, Ladybug stood in Marinette's place.

' _Ladybug is in my class? Oh my god! I've been bullying Ladybug! What kind of a monster am I? Adrikins is Chat Noir? I have both super heroes in my class?! Oh god I'm gonna need a therapist,'_ Chloe thought to herself.

Adrien's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he heard the last bit Marinette had said before a blinding pink light radiated from the top of the cliff.

"Well, let's not keep Ladybug waiting," Rin stated.

Adrien glanced at Rin in shock before he realized something about the white haired girl on his back and voiced his revealation, "You knew the whole time?!"

Rin dead panned as she let out a slight groan at Adrien's naivety before responding, "It's not polite to keep a lady waiting, you know?"

Adrien blinked before nodding and let the baton free from the sides of the rocky ledge before flipping it so he could vault himself back up to join Ladybug and a visibly shaken Chloe who was laying on the ground, tucking her body impossibly tight together.

"Mari's L-la-ladybug…Adri Noir," Chloe whimpered.

Rin quirked an eyebrow before pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, _'I swear if I was ever this frail, please shoot me!'_

She sensed the Akuma's move and dove, grasping the shell shocked girl within her arms and coming to a stop in a kneeling position, Chloe wrapped in her arms like a frightened child.

Rin stood with Chloe and raced off in the direction the rest of their classmates had headed.

The Akuma moved to follow them, only for Ladybug to swing in front, twist back and land a round house kick to the Akuma's head, the green skinned monster fell onto the ground, and yelled angrily as he charged at her, Chat Noir blocked him, using his baton as a staff to block the Akuma's attacks and deliver a few of his own.

 _'Let's finish this,'_ Ladybug thought to herself as she threw her yo-yo up into the air, she was stunned when a pair of scissors fell into her hands.

"What am I supposed to do with these?!"

"His hoodie," Rin stated, making Ladybug jump.

"What are you doing back here? How did you get here?"

"Long story. We had a secret Santa in class last year. He found out that I was his secret santa, and that hoodie he's wearing is what I gave him," Rin volunteered.

"So that would be where the Akuma's hiding… but he's definitely keeping Chat Noir busy I'm not sure I can get an opening.

"Well, for once, your lucky charm might only be good for the healing effect after," Rin suggested as she reached behind the back of her head to the barrette, and pressed on the large pearl at the center, she then clutched something in her hand as she took a battle stance.

"Get ready cause this is gonna be quick," Rin recommended.

Marinette blinked before demanding in a near angry voice, "Are you ever going to tell me who you really are?! It's clear you're not a Miraculous wielder, so just who are you?"

"When the time's right," Rin replied before charging towards the fight. Ladybug could now clearly see what Rin was clutching in her hand, a 3 ¼ inch bladed dagger.

Rin took a running leap at a tree stump, then jumped from it and up onto a rock formation just behind Justin and Chat Noir. She pushed off of the rocky ledge and landed on Justin's back, slicing the hoodie straight down the back and freeing the Akuma within. Rin jumped off Justin's back and caught Chat Noir as he was flung towards the rock formation.

"Uhh, nice catch?" he joked.

"I'm not into kittens," Rin shot back as she forced him to his feet.

"No more evil doing for you, little Akuma," Ladybug said as she began her sequence, caught the Akuma, and then freed it from her yo-yo.

"Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug sweetly called to it as it flew off, pure white and cleansed.

She threw the pair of scissors up in the air calling for her miraculous ladybug.

Rin watched and safely tucked the dagger away back within the confines of its secret location within her barrette as the damage the akuma had inflicted to both Chat Noir and the bridge returned to normal, and the hoodie she'd had to shred was repaired without hint of what had happened.

Justin sat on the ground, rubbing his head as he glanced around, "huh? Wha-?"

Rin picked up the hoodie and on her knees in front of Justin, offering the hoodie to him. She looked hesitant before she spoke, "I think I owe you more of an explaination than what I gave earlier. I wasn't just giving you a line. It's true, it is me. It just wouldn't work and it's not because there's anything wrong with you. I mean when I first started at school, you were the one who showed me around and always said if I wanted to hang out with someone, just message you. If I'm honest it kinda scared me in a way but not because of anything you did wrong."

Justin blushed a little, glancing away before accepting the hoodie from Rin and gave a small sigh as he offered, "I could've been more considerate. I guess I like you so much I just got selfish. I shouldn't have."

Rin gave him a small smile and nodded, "We both had our part to play in this." She gently played with the pink woven bracelet on her left wrist.

Justin watched the motion before his shoulders sagged, "Someone special gave that to you, didn't they?"

Rin nodded, tears beginning to shine in her eyes.

"So he's back in Japan?"

Rin shook her head 'no' and took a shuttering deep breath before she croaked out, "No. And that's why I can't be with anyone… I loved him, I never told him. Before I could he died, I'm not over it."

Justin's eyes widened as he grasped Rin's chin between his pointer finger and thumb, making her look at him. His heart nearly broke when he saw that tears were cascading down her cheeks.

"Take as much time as you need. Can we be friends, til then?"

Rin gave a bright smile through her tears and nodded, "I'd like that."

' _Man! I feel sorry for the guy. Not only is he after someone emotionally unavailable, he's after a girl whose old enough to be his great-great-great-grandmother,'_ Chat Noir thought to himself.

He then looked to Ladybug and cleared his throat, "Umm—I think we should talk. I'll drop by your place later tonight?"

Ladybug nodded before a beep of her miraculous gave her warning she wrapped her yo-yo around a tree branch before swinging away.

Chat Noir vaulted off before his miraculous wore off.

"I'm sorry I got so upset," Justin apologized.

"You had the courage to wear your heart on your sleeve, don't be sorry for that," Rin answered.


	4. Details

Marinette sat on her bed, she was in pink pajama bottoms and a white shirt with Japanese cherry blossoms around the neckline. She had just finished drying her hair in the washroom and was currently mulling over the days events in her mind. A gentle tapping at her trap door signaled to the young blunette that her visitor for the evening had arrived. "It's open," she called to him, and watched as one leather clad boot made it's way down tentatively at first before he began walking down the ladder from her balcony.

She was still having a difficult time wrapping her head around the idea that Adrien was Chat Noir, she'd played it calm at school and then freaked out in her bathroom for the past four hours since she'd been home.

"Hi Marinette," Chat Noir greeted her.

"Hi," She returned the greeting, not looking at him. Chat stood watching her for a moment before he let his transformation drop and reverted back to being Adrien.

"Mari?"

"It was you the whole time," Marinette began.

Adrien nodded in agreement, a small smile on his face as her verbally affirmed, "Yeah."

"You said we had to talk?"

"You don't want to talk about this? I figure this is kinda weird for you. I always make you so nervous, and –uhh well—if I'm honest, Mari, I'm a little nervous around you too, it's not a—a bad thing, per se, really. I mean when I realized that you're Ladybug, it was a huge relief," Adrien admitted.

Marinette quirked a brow at him inquisitively, he felt his mouth go dry as he walked over to her and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Okay, maybe it'll be easier to just start from the beginning… although I – ugh. Rin can back up the beginning and explain things better than I can," Adrien groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"Rin, Rin, Rin, are you in love with Rin or something?"

"Gross," was the only thing Adrien replied with.

"What's gross about it? She's pretty enough," Marinette almost growled.

"Well yeah, I'm not denying that… but I'm not exactly hot for cougars," Adrien hinted.

This confused Marinette even more as she shook her head vigorously, making her look like she was trying to scare away an irritating insect.

"What?! How can she be a cougar? She's our age," Marinette spat out.

"Not exactly. She looks our age cause she ages slower than us but she's actually lived ten times as long as we have," Adrien replied.

Marientte gave him a perplexed look that clearly told him that she wasn't buying any of this one little bit. He braced himself but nothing prepared him for what he heard from her, "Are you drunk? High? Drunk and high? How could she possibly be 150 years old Adrien? Do you a have a secret mental illness you haven't taken medication for?"

Adrien blinked in response, and flinched at the questions. She wasn't going to believe him, this is pointless.

Suddenly Marinette screeched as she hugged her knees up close to her chest seeing Rin climbing up the side of her house and then up to the balcony.

"Well that's unusual, even for her," Adrien confessed as he looked to Marinette.

"Mari, I promise you, scary as she is she's the last one who'd ever hurt a human," Adrien assured the frightened bluenette.

Rin slowly made her way down the ladder from the open trap door, and Marinette realized she was in fact dressed in blue jean short shorts and a loose fitting pink midrift top, slung over her shoulder was a bag that looked to be quite heavy.

"Hi again Marinette," Rin greeted.

"How did you climb up so high?!"

"It's easy for me," Rin answered as she slid the back pack off her shoulders.

Adrien watched her for a moment before inquiring, "Uhh, what are you doing?"

"She seems like the type that needs visual confirmation. Trouble being most humans can't see me in my true form. Not without this at least," Rin answered.

She set up the machine that looked like an old fashioned movie projector. Seeing it prompted Marinette to ask her, "What the that thing?"

"This," Rin stated pointing at the contraption, "is a soul visualization machine. It allows me to be seen by non-spiritually aware humans without the use of a gigai."

Marinette could feel herself becoming cross eyed, none of this made any sense!

She decided she'd get to the bottom of this with a few questions, "How old are you? When were you born? Where are your parents?"

"I was born on February 17th 2006 in soul society," Rin replied without batting an eye, "I'm one hundred and fifty one years old. I usually live in soul society with my mother, Tama, my brother Tomoya and my sister Sora…. And I literally just realized all of my family members have an 'a' in their name except for myself. I don't know who my father is. I'm 5' feet tall, I weigh 90 pounds. I hold the rank and title of eighth squad Lieutenant within the guard squads of Soul society. I'm sworn to defend both my world, and your world from evil spirits that threaten to upset the balance of souls. I'm a Pescatarian, my favourite food is strawberries, I despise meat, never cared for the taste or texture, I can't swim and my best friend didn't drown in a tsunami… he died sacrificing himself to that our worlds could be safe from a villain worse than Hawkmoth… one who wanted absolute power over both worlds… and set into motion events that lead to Adrien being born."

Marinette face palmed as she looked at this white haired girl, "I can't stand liars."

"Then I'll show you I'm not lying," Rin replied as she turned the soul visualization machine on. She then took a small green ball from her shorts pocket and popped it into her mouth, her soul form separated from her gigai and Rin stood before her, wearing her former hair style of various strands of hair gathered within pearl like beads then pulled into the same half up hair style she wore at school with the large silver and pearl barrette keeping her hair out of her face.

She was dressed in her modified sleeveless shihakushō with shortened hakama and a rose coloured obi, on her right arm was her 8th division Lieutenant's badge, and on her left wrist the same pink woven bracelet she always wore.

"This is me, the real me as I was born," Rin's soul reaper form stated while her gigai sat down cross legged on the floor.

Marinette blinked a little before shaking her head harshly and asked the only logical thing that she could think to ask, "So, you're like Casper the friendly ghost?"

"Less desperate for friends and I can fight better than Casper. Although I suppose 'ghost' is a pretty accurate term for what I am," Rin replied.

She kept her eyes to Marinette as she continued, "There's two worlds, the material world also known as the human world where we currently are, and the world of soul society where I was born. In both of these worlds there's two types of spirits, wholes, and hollows. Whole spirits are just people who are deceased and have not yet crossed over to soul society. As a soul reaper, I help them go to the soul society but if I don't reach them in time or they die with a deep regret that causes an injury to their emotional heart, they become a hollow. A hollow is essentially a spirit whose heart is no more, and to compensate for the emptiness they feel they feed on souls. You sometimes hear of someone who was completely healthy dropping dead for no reason?"

Marinette nodded.

"That was a death by a hollow attack," Rin informed her as she resumed, "as a soul reaper I can cleanse these hollows, help them find peace, protect humans from having their soul devoured, and the purified hollow gets sent to soul society, although if the hollow intentionally caused harm and sadness to those around them, people like rapists, murderers, even thieves, they go to hell and cannot be purified. The thing about soul reapers though is that not all of us are good. Some of us turn bad and 151 years ago, there was a war in soul society which began because one soul reaper did become evil. His name was Sosuke Aizen, and his intent was to have absolute power, to rule both your world and soul society. We were able to imprison Aizen for 150 years, but before he was captured he fathered twin boys. One was raised in soul society, and was my friend from infantcy, he was adopted by a greater noble clan, and raised as Mamoru Kuchiki, the friend I lost last year. The other, was sent here to earth, in Paris France, to be raised as a human under the name Alexandre Agreste. Adrien is Alexandre's descendent and the only one who was able to help me destroy the hogyoku."

"Hogyoku?"

"The Hogyoku is how Aizen hoped to rule over both of our worlds and achieve absolute power," Rin explained.

"That's why Adrien knows me. When Aizen escaped Prison last year, Mamoru, myself, and a handful of other high ranking officers intercepted him. Mamoru was always very strong, but his Zanpakuto, the weapon that gives a soul reaper their power, wasn't truly effective on hollows, or really useful in combat. He relied heavily on his skill in kendo and he was more skilled than myself, his physical strength, agility, and his skill in empty handed combat as well as kido. In this battle, however, it was his Zanpakuto's ability that lead to our victory. He was able to use his Zanpakuto to separate Aizen from the hogyoku, and sacrificed himself to save both of our worlds…. He could separate them, but we both knew the hogyoku must never again fall into the wrong hands. We couldn't chance it. It had to be destroyed… so I sought out Adrien, going by something Mamoru had once told me, I figured Adrien would be able to destroy it… and once we awakened his own soul reaper power he was able to. The hogyoku has been destroy for a year as of the end of August this past summer."

"That's why we seem to be so close. I had to train him. It was nothing more than business and something that needed to be done. He's also the only one whose ever known this side of me in your world until now," Rin concluded.

"So in the chat room?"

"I was looking for Adrien, yes, but when Chloe started cyber bullying you, I couldn't stay silent. That crap kills humans, those ones usually become hollows within minutes. I wasn't going to sit by and watch it happen. If I did I couldn't look my own reflection in the mirror," Rin admitted.

Marinette slowly nodded in understanding, "But, if the Hogyoku was destroyed, why are you here?"

"I'm on a new mission, for now that's all I can tell you. I'm not sure how things are going to go and there's no sense frightening you without just cause. Just know should the worst come to pass, you, Adrien, and the new miraculous wielders will not be in the battle on your own," Rin replied.

Her gigai got up from her seat on the floor and walked over to Rin, the soul reaper pulled a red glove with a blue and white flaming skull symbol on it before pressing the glove against the gigai's forehead. The green pill popped out of the gigai's mouth and Rin seamlessly inhabited the gigai again with ease.

"This is a gigai, a faux body. I use it so I can interact with non-spiritually aware humans… and also to recover my powers. Making a substitute soul reaper is never an easy task, no matter how powerful the creating soul reaper is. I haven't been able to use my blade for a year now but slowly, by keeping in this gigai and giving myself weekly treatments, my reiatsu levels are climbing back up, soon I'll be back in fighting shape, until then, I'll offer any support I can give without leaving this gigai," Rin stated as she began packing the machine up and prepared to leave.

"Umm, you could leave through the door, ya know?"

Rin quirked a brow at Marinette before inquiring, "and how would I explain that to your parents? Hi Mr. DuPain, Mrs. Cheng, oh no! No cause for alarm, I'm a classmate of Marinette's. You didn't see me come by? Well I snuck in."

Marinette gave a slight giggle, "They weren't home when you first came here just say I let you in."

Rin sweat dropped at the suggestion before giggling herself and nodding, "Alright." She slung the backpack onto her back before heading out of Marinette's room.

"'I'm on a new mission' I'm getting tired of hearing that," Adrien grumbled.

"So you were telling the truth, she isn't our age," Marinette spoke.

Adrien nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I feel bad for Justin. He's going after a girl old enough to be his great-great-great-grandmother."

Marinette made a grossed out face at the idea, and then looked to Adrien, "So that's why you saved her today? You know she isn't at her full strength."

Adrien nodded, "and I'm the cause of that. As a soul reaper, I have basically the same powers I do as Chat Noir, but this all happened before I had the miraculous so I couldn't use my Chat Noir Cataclysm, I had to use the one I get when I'm a soul reaper. Rin said that means I not only have the black cat miraculous, I have the black cat spirit as well… which makes me a true black cat… apparently the last one was Alexandre."

He dead panned, "Uhh, ironically my full name is Adrien Alexandre Agreste."

Marinette blinked before joking, "uhh, guess your parents like their A's?"

Adrien gave a smirk and a slight shrug before asking, "So, are you okay now?"

Marinette hesitated before nodding a little, "I wonder how Chloe's going to react to us tomorrow though. I mean after the Akuma she didn't seem to remember anything about us being Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Cause she honestly doesn't. Rin took care of it. She has this little device that replaces memories, it's usually used to conceal the existence of hollows after a hollow attacks someone in a building and leaves damage behind but she used it to erase Chloe's memory of us at the akuma attack… unfortunately there's no way to predict what her memory gets replaced with so when she started saying that we both jumped off the cliff after Rin before Ladybug saved us and Chat Noir acted like an idiot….. well that was just lucky," Adrien revealed.


	5. A new threat

"My Lady, look out!"

Chat Noir's warning reached her ears as she swung away from danger just before a stick of dynamite exploded where she'd been seconds ago. Sargent TNT was the latest Akumatized victim, but unlike the others he had some sort of clock running on him, and his attacks weren't meant to capture, they were meant to kill.

"This is like a bad remix video of an AC/DC song," Rin commented as she watched the Akumatized victim from a distance.

The timer had been at 1:45:16 when Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up, now the timer was down to 5:07 and he seemed to be getting very desperate, but the worst part was wherever the akuma was hiding, it was well hidden. The only thing that seemed out of place or unusual was the actual timer on countdown its self. Above the numbers were five bulbs, four of which were bright red, the last one was a dim crimson, until it wasn't. _'He's going to blow up,'_ Rin realized.

"Get back! Everyone clear the streets now," Ladybug hollered to the civilians.

"No News Crews, no photos! Run! He is a bomb," Chat Noir echoed.

Suddenly there was a mad scramble while Sargent TNT cackled in a maniacal laugh, a purple mask outlined appeared on his face.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, you have made this happen. Each time you refuse to hand over your miraculouses from now on, I will kill a Parisian. As an example, watch as this single father succomes to his own power," Hawk Moth's voice emitted from Sargent TNT.

Rin scowled as she took a power stance, her legs shoulder width apart as she called out, "Bakudo four, Hainawa!"

A yellow rope of energy encircled Sargant TNT.

"-Carriage of Thunder, Bridge of a spinning wheel, with light divide this into six, Bakudo sixty-one, Rikujokoro!"

Chat Noir watched as the yellow rope became six beams of light, the timer seemed to have stopped.

"Impossible!" A woman's voice exclaimed.

"Improbable, anything is possible," Rin corrected as she turned to face the new voice only to be met with what appeared to be a miraculous wielder. She wore what appeared to be a blue evening dress with a split on the right upper thigh down that seemed to widen as it reached the the ground, the ending of the skirt resembled a peacock's tail, the woman had a blue mask on her face, her hair was up in a bun. In her left hand she held a peacock patterned fan, in the left what looked like a quill.

"No more evil doing for you, little Akuma," Ladybug stated as she caught the akuma in the butterfly net and then opened her yo-yo, a white butterfly fluttered away.

"Bye bye little butterfly," she called to it before throwing the polk-a-dot wire cutters up into the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The woman dressed in blue peacock attire threw the quill at Rin.

Rin caught the quill in her hand without injury and eyed the woman.

"You're not a normal human," the woman observed.

"Well aren't you just Einstein? I have a friend back home who'd die laughing at your outfit. I mean really, did you have to kill a few peacocks to get that many feathers?"

"ACHOO!"

Ladybug looked to Chat Noir, but already knew his feather allergy was acting up.

This revelation however made the peacock woman erupt in a diabolical laugh, "Oh dear! Poor little pussy cat… I guess you're not catching any poultry for your dinner. You must starve in the streets of Paris."

"Hey! I hab a home to go do," Chat Noir replied.

' _Wow that allergy's bad, he sounds like a stuffed up elephant,_ ' Rin thought to herself, but kept her eyes on the woman.

"Quills, grow!"

Rin let go of the Quill as it began to glow, transforming into a short sword.

She glanced up to see the woman had another short sword in her hand.

"It's quite simple, since I already know your powers… I can either use my Quills as daggers, or I can transform them into swords… and that's without penalty to my miraculous," The woman voiced.

Rin narrowed her eyes and heard Ladybug's earrings beginning to beep.

"Get going, I'll help Rin," Chat Noir stated to Ladybug.

"Alright, I'll be back," Ladybug agreed, wrapping her yo-yo around a chimney and swinging away from sight.

Rin watched as several quills seemed to appear around the Peacock and then shoot out in various directions.

Rin thrusted her hands forward, "Hado fifty-seven, Daichi Tenyo!"

She then lowered her hands as the quills landed harmlessly on the ground.

"You were right to say that I'm not quite human, but I won't reveal exactly what I am to you. Why don't you go ask your boss, Hawkmoth? He might have an idea of what I am," Rin suggested with a cat like smirk.

At this the woman gave an amused laugh, "Oh darling girl, you have it reversed. Hawk moth isn't my boss… I'm _his_ boss."


	6. Admitting the truth

Chat Noir watched as Rin paced back and forth while seemingly texting on an old fashioned flip phone, a behavior she'd been practicing since they got back to her house an hour ago. Like a cat watching an anxious owner he observed her occasionally biting at nearby strands of her hair, suddenly realizing why she never let her hair down. It was a nervous habit, one he'd never seen her perform. Thinking back on the times they spent together, he could recall every bit of body language he'd learned of her, how to tell when she was self-conscious, she rubbed her arms. How to tell when she was faking happiness, that was the first one he learned, she put on a smile but her eyes held no spark to them. He'd seen her face down hollows, he'd seen her take on two Akumas, he'd seen her falling off a cliff to what would've been a watery grave, but nervous behavior was something he hadn't seen yet.

"What are you doing?" Ladybug finally asked.

"Sending my report to my Captain, the head Captain, and Central 46… they're kind of like our government," Rin answered as she closed the flip phone over and sat down on Marinette's bed.

"Huh? There's a government there?" Marinette asked.

Rin inwardly sighed and nodded, "Yes. Even us ghosts need governing."

"Makes sense," Marinette agreed before she inquired, "What are you hoping they'll do?"

"Send back up," Rin stated plainly.

"I thought you were our backup," Chat Noir teased with a grin.

"I am, but I'll be pretty useless if things get worse. Today was a close call," Rin admitted before flopping down onto a bean bag chair.

"How do you mean?"

Rin raked her fingers through her hair, gently tugging on it as she reached her neck, 'Sometimes I forget they really are just sixteen years old and know nothing of soul society history.'

"I'm part of a military force called the thirteen court guard squads. Appropriately named as there are thirteen squads, I hold the second highest rank in the eighth squad. However the guard squads didn't always exist. They were made roughly 2150 years ago by then Head Captain Yamamoto. He rounded up the strongest fighters in soul society and offered them an opportunity to defend their world and the human world. About three thousand years prior, however, he forged the jewels of the Miraculous and gifted them to earth as a means of humans defending themselves against hollows… that's why when you're transformed you're able to see hollows, Marinette… you haven't yet, but you will. Adrien could faintly see the outline of them before he got his miraculous due to his heritage," Rin explained.

She gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "But - this isn't the first time Hawkmoth has appeared. The trouble with the butterfly Miraculous may well lie in the power it grants, empathy. It allows the wielder to feel the emotions of those around them, and negative emotions are often felt more strongly than positive emotions. The last time that two Miraculous wielders turned evil, went against their comrads is what spawned the birth of the guard squads. The Akumatized victiims eventually became so destructive, they'd die while Akumatized and immediately became hollows. That upset the balance of spirits being alive on earth and the amount of souls in soul society. Had we not taken up arms and done what we did, if we hadn't assisted the remainder of the Miraculous team, it would've meant the apocalypse."

Marinette felt her anxiety creeping up and threatening to take control. She hadn't felt like this since they first spoke with Hawkmoth the second time that Ivan became Stone Heart. She also realized that their transformations had worn off while Rin was talking. Adrien caught sight of Marinette's concerned expression, he'd seen that same face once before and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a very gentle squeeze as he consoled her, "Hey smile a bit. It'll be okay. One thing I've learned about Rin, and this is going right back to the day I met her, she's like you. She doesn't stop, no matter what the odds are. As long as she can move and breathe, she still fights. I get that you can't see hollows and that's scary, but we can and we've got your back. If Rin isn't there, you know I am, alright?"

Marinette gave a smile before nodding. Rin observed the two before inwardly screaming, _'God! Just kiss her already!'_

"Huh? Rin?" Marinette asked glancing at the white haired girl.

Rin gave a slight scoff, "I guess obliviousness is genetic."

Both Marinette and Adrien stiffened at the statement as they watched her climb out of her window and jump. Adrien didn't have to look to know she'd landed on her feet but Marinette ran to the open window and glanced out to see Rin running down the street.

"What just got into her?"

"Uhh I have an idea, but I'm not sure," Adrien admitted.

Marinette quirked an eye brow at him, "Right…"

A thought entered her mind and she was quick to shake her head furiously and shake the thought away. Adrien watched his friend and classmate for a while before giving a slight sigh and answering, "I wouldn't know. If she does and she hasn't told us, it's for a reason."

Marinette nodded a bit.

A few hours later, Marinette had gotten home safely and Adrien sat in Rin's room in his soul reaper form, his Zanpkauto hung at his left hip as he watched and waited before a voice from behind him made his eyes widen.

"If you're going to try hide yourself, at least try to conceal your spiritual pressure, Golden boy," Rin teased.

Adrien glanced behind him and noticed Rin was also in her soul forum he smiled a bit, "Snowy… where'd you go when you left?"

"I had to clear my head," Rin admitted as she avoided his gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"A lot. A lot is wrong. Everything's wrong. It should be him here with me, I shouldn't be doing this alone. He shouldn't have had to die to stop that creep. I should've spoken up. I should've told him. But now he's gone and I'm here. I'm helpless as a damned kitten, not even a quarter of the strength I should be and having to use my powers to help you guys out is just wearing me out even more. I'm going to die at this rate," Rin ranted as she slid down and hugged her knees close to her chest.

Adrien was startled to see tears brimming in her eyes, still she didn't look to him and she bit her lip harshly.

"I'm scared-," She whispered, "-I'm scared, and I hate it. I haven't been scared since I was a child. I want my Mamy."

A sob escaped her throat as she hid her head in her arms.

Adrien blinked at the last bit before crouching in front of her, gently he began stroking her hair as she cried while his voice gently cooed, "Hey, it's going to be okay. You're not alone, Rin, you've got us. Mari and me, okay granted she isn't a soul reaper like I am, and without you I wouldn't even be one—but we're both very dedicated to our friends, and you're a mutual friend now. We're not going to let anything happen. We've got your back."

"Save her," Rin stated as she discretely dried her face.

"What?"

"If it comes down to me or Marinette, save her and let me go. Don't be a fool like you were on the hiking trip. You realize that because of you, I had to wipe Chloe Bourgeois memory of that event? Trouble is the memory replacer is completely random, there's no way to tell what it replaced her memory with so she began rambling about some weird vampire werewolf hybrid rescuing me and the teacher thought she'd done some sort of drug," Rin explained.

Adrien's face dead panned before he burst into a laughing fit.

"Why haven't you kissed her?"

"Oh, so that's what the whole 'obliviousness must be genetic' comment was about? You should maybe include yourself in that one too… seeing as you could've well ended up becoming my Aunt," Adrien retorted before giving rubbing the back of his neck.

"Truth is- I want to kiss her- but then I think about how perfectly that gikon you made actually behaves like me. I'm not sure Marinette would be able to tell the difference. I wish it was a bit flawed at least, then I wouldn't feel so bad. As it is now if she kissed that gikon by accident while it was in my body I can't guarantee I wouldn't be jealous—I'd be jealous of myself in a weird way? I don't know how to explain it really. I just—I want to wait for a time when I won't need to become a soul reaper and I can be just Adrien all the time—well Adrien and Chat Noir," Adrien admitted.

"If you wait too long you may not get the chance. Take it from someone that knows that time is never guaranteed to anyone. The trouble is you always think you have time and you really don't. It's the one thing we're rich with at birth and poor of when we die, the one currency that can never be replaced or replenished. Use your time wisely. Take risks, leap at chances, and don't ever allow yourself to regret anything. None of us really have long in the grand scheme of things. Even those like me," Rin offered.

Adrien nodded in acknowledgement before looking to a nearby clock, "It's getting late. I should be in bed already."

He looked back to Rin, "Are you going to be okay?"

Rin bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"Well geez don't get too enthusiastic there Diva, you're likely to nod your head off," a new female voice joked.

Adrien glanced around before he heard a sharp whistle coming from the window. Turning around he saw a girl about Rin's height and age with red hair tied back into a spiky ponytail, although if he was honest his hair reminded him of a pineapple. She had large violet eyes, delicate facial features, and wore a mischievous grin. Fishnet arm warmers and a spiked choker were added to her outfit to give insight to her personality, at her left side rested a katana sheath, the Zanpakuto had a lightning bolt shaped tsuba.

Adrien stood defensively in front of Rin, his left hand gripping the sheath of his Zanpakuto as he demanded in an even tone, "And you would be?"

This apparently amused the girl as she let a hearty laugh escape her as she watched him, "I'm the third seat of squad eight, Ichika Abarai, nice to meet you, Chat Noir."


	7. Chloe's concern

"Have you seen Rin around?"

The question made Marinette glance in the direction of the inquirer with an instantly concerned glare cast towards Adrien and the one who'd asked her where abouts, only the person who had asked made Rin shake her head in confusion.

Chloe was asking about Rin?!

"She's off sick today," Adrien replied as casually as he could muster. He couldn't very well tell anyone that she was at home debriefing one of her subordinates on the current situation with the akumas and her concerns regarding the recent change during the akuma attacks.

Chloe didn't seem convinced as she put her hands on her hips before asking, "sick? With what? The Flu? Are you sure?"

"Why do you care? It isn't like you two are particularly close or anything," Adrien returned.

"I—" Chloe began to answer but then stopped herself thinking back to the prior night.

 _ **Chloe received the sushi from the staff member before heading towards the elevator when the sound of someone sobbing rather loudly made her turn her head. She had anticipated seeing Marinette there and had been prepared to say, 'I told you. He's my Adrikins.' Yet it wasn't Marinette she noticed, but Rin, she looked as if her legs had given out from under her and was in a crumpled heap crying on the sidewalk.**_

 _ **Chloe bit her lip slightly before racing outside, but once outside was at a loss for words. So instead of speaking she sat next to Rin, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and stretching out the box of sushi as an offering.**_

" _ **Home sick?"**_

 _ **Rin shook her head 'no' as she gulped in gasps of air. "It's alright. Just take it slow," Chloe coaxed. Why was she doing this? Why was she being so nice? The thought of her, Chloe Bourgeois, the Mayor's daughter crouched down in the middle of the street where anyone could see her was absolutely insane, yet here she was. Why?**_

 _ **Then it dawned on her, because when her mother had died and her father had briefly turned to drink to drown his own sorrows, she had wanted nothing more than for someone to hold her and comfort her. By the time her father had sobered up, Chloe had grown resentful and untrusting of others, it was easier to keep everyone at arm's length than to chance that kind of hurt again.**_

 _ **Chloe gave in and fully sat down on the side walk next to the shaken girl after a few minutes, Chloe watched Rin calm enough to breathe normally.**_

" _ **Do you want to talk about it?"**_

 _ **Rin bit her lip as she played with the pink woven bracelet on her wrist.**_

" _ **I miss him," Rin began.**_

 _ **She wiped her eyes as she looked to the sky before she continued, "I thought being here, being away from all of my memories would make things easier… but I can't say that it is. I regret so much. I wish I had told him."**_

" _ **What would you have told him?"**_

 _ **Rin bit her lip again as she took a steadying breath before replying, "I'd tell him that ever since I can remember, he was always with me. When we were kids playing by a river, I nearly fell in. I can't swim, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards him. We fell onto the grass and I landed on him… that was the first time he called me his Lady, it made me blush. I'd tell him that his smile is always enough to soothe me into talking, his laugh brings light into my world, and I'd tell him that I hope we spend the rest of our lives by each other's side."**_

 _ **Chloe blinked slowly, her mouth was open in surprise at the revelation. Rin had lost someone she didn't just love, she was in love with him.**_

" _ **It kills me to see two people I know making the same mistake that I did. To watch them care so deeply for each other but they don't tell each other. God, I was stupid... it's eating me alive that they're being as stupid as I was! They're my friends. I want to save them from the same pain I'm going through," she growled in frustration.**_

 _ **Chloe suddenly realized who Rin might be referring to and bit her lip a little before replying, "I sort of have a different issue, actually. There's a boy I've known since I was a little girl—I barely have one memory where I didn't know him or interact with him somehow. When my mom died, my Dad—was caught up with his own grief. She was really the glue that held us all together. So when she died—part of us died with her. This boy I know? He was the one person to try and make me smile, even half way after she passed. I think that's when I started crushing on him but I'm starting to realize it was maybe just a deep appreciation? I don't know. I don't get the butterflies in my stomach or anything like that. I'm not nervous around him. I just—don't think anyone can really care about me more than he does. I'm scared of losing that. So I cling to him. Maybe that's the wrong thing to do? I don't know. I wish I had an older sister at least. Boys are confusing."**_

 _ **This confession made Rin chuckle as she dried her eyes with her hands. Chloe held out a napkin, offering it to Rin.**_

" _ **Thanks," Rin replied as she accepted the napkin and gently wiped her eyes.**_

" _ **Come on inside and freshen up. You kind of look like weird raccoon right now," Chloe offered.**_

 _ **Rin almost burst out laughing at this but was quick to nod her head in agreement.**_

" _ **One other thing Rin, this conversation never happened," Chloe added as she headed back into the Grande Paris Hotel. Rin smiled a bit as she winked to Master Fu across the street.**_

 _ **Later up in Chloe's hotel room after a warm shower, Rin stepped out and was surprised to find her clothes in a dry cleaning bag.**_

" _ **I called the dry cleaning service while you were in, nothing feels more grimy than walking around in dirty clothes when you're clean," Chloe explained.**_

 _ **She seemed to lose her confidence a bit before indicating a room service cart, "I had them prepare a few traditional Japanese dishes. I know you say that you're not homesick, but I figured some familiar comforts might help?"**_

 _ **Rin was almost tongue tied as she towel dried her hair and wore a white hotel bathrobe as she stood in the main room of Chloe's suite before finding her voice, "Thank you… that was very thoughtful, Chloe."**_

 _ **Chloe gave a small shrug.**_

" _ **You're lucky, to know both of your parents," Rin offered.**_

 _ **Chloe's eyes widened a bit as she replied, "You don't know who your dad is?"**_

 _ **Rin shook her head 'no', as she looked out the hotel window, overlooking the city she slowly began to tell a story she hadn't yet told anyone being mindful to change the time frame to suit a human instead of a soul reaper.**_

 _ **Tenatively she began to explain, "I didn't say that exactly. I know him and I don't. I know things about him. I know that he knows about my brother, my sister and myself. I know some of the ways I remind my mother of him—she always did call me her beautiful child. Not that Tomoya and Sora aren't beautiful to her as well, but I'm apparently the beautiful female version of my father. I'm sure there's differences between him and I, aside from the obvious…**_

" _ **You have a brother and sister? I guess they're back in Japan? You must miss them," Chloe blurted.**_

 _ **Rin nodded in agreement, "But I have the highest grades of my siblings. That's why I was able to come here, to Paris. I know most dream of being an exchange student in America, but I've always been different. I was drawn to Paris."**_

 _ **Chloe gave a gentle smile and nodded, "It's alright for a city."**_

 _ **She looked to Rin, "So Tomoya and Sora have the same Dad as you?"**_

 _ **Rin gave an amused smile before revealing, "I'd hope so! We're a set of triplets."**_

 _ **Chloe gave a slight giggle at the statement, realizing how strange it would be for triplets to have different fathers.**_

" _ **Thank you, Chloe. Really—I—I trust Adrien a lot, and Marinette –but—I just needed to get away for a bit, kind of clear my head," Rin spoke.**_

 _ **Chloe shrugged, "Even the worst of us aren't bad all the time. I won't say anything if you don't." She looked to Rin as she stated the last part, indicating how serious she was.**_

" _ **Deal," Rin agreed the two girls shared a gaze and a friendly smile before Rin looked out over Paris again.**_

' _ **Mamoru, I wish you were here to see it. It's beautiful,' Rin thought to herself.**_

 _ **Chloe noticed the melancholy look Rin was once again gaining and decided to distract her with a question, "Have you ever done Karaoke?"**_

"I just wondered," Chloe stated before heading over to her seat.

Adrien quirked a brow at her, _'Yeah, and I'm a mouse.'_

~~~~ At Master Fu's shop~~~~

"You are certain these weilders are worthy?"

"They are," Rin affirmed, "But equally important, they're Adrien's friends. When the time comes, he'll need all of them there for him."

"You know who Hawkmoth is, I don't know how many friends someone would need to survive that kind of shock," Wayzz offered.

Rin nodded, "And even that may not be enough—but I'll give him every chance I can, provide as much padding as I can for when that blow comes."

Master Fu nodded and seemed in thought before asking, "And what of you? Who will be there for you if you suffer an unsuspected surprise?"

Rin gave a hearty laugh as she looked at Master Fu, "Are you joking? I'm a soldier. I handle myself."

"Rin, even the strongest warrior knows when to seek help," Master Fu advised.

Rin thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement, "You're right. It's foolish to fight a battle on your own. But the truth is the there's only ever been a handful of people I trust to get me through rough scenarios—and none of them are in this world. So it's me against it all. Wish me luck and ladybugs, you gotta know I need them."

She gave a playful wink before heading off with the miraculous jewellery boxes concealed within her clothes.

"More so than you know," Master Fu stated to a seemingly empty room. He heard footsteps from the other room as someone else entered the main room of the studio.

"I am surprised she did not sense you. She's usually quite sensitive to such things. You must be highly skilled as you told me when you arrived," Master Fu spoke to his guest.

The guest remained silent only offering a small nod.


	8. Friends Forever

Rin looked to the black and silver tube in front of her, running her fingers over it. The reiatsu within it felt familiar but she couldn't logically place it. She sighed as she injected herself with the reiatsu infusion, waiting a few minutes she checked her own levels, as always the infusion tripled her reiatsu level for such a small amount.

' _Maybe if I was able to get an infusion directly from the source I could recover my powers completely,'_ Rin thought to herself before running her fingers through her hair. Reiatsu infusion was a difficult treatment to achieve, and problematic when not received from the donor directly. Preserving reiatsu for infusion was hardly like a blood transfusion where there's a medical way to preserve the blood. Reiatsu, the spirit energy that granted soul reapers their powers, was completely different. Reiatsu began to diminish upon leaving the source. The injections she received from Ichika were only half vials by the time she received them, however she knew enough to know that those vials would be nearly overflowing when the reiatsu was collected. For such a small amount to triple her reiatsu she questioned who was donating to her. Her mother's reiatsu wouldn't last more than thirty seconds after leaving her, perhaps Captain Kuchiki, but his smelled like Cherry Blossoms. Rukia's reiatsu was very cold, almost like her own. Renji's was wild and untamed. This reiatsu felt dignified, refined, and humbled. She recalled someone who had a reiatsu that felt like that, but they were deceased. There was no possible way he had made these donations before passing on, and no chance that they had been preserved in such mass quantities for 18 months. It wasn't possible.

From the other side of the bedroom, hidden by a kido spell which concealed their presence, the donor watched as Rin slung her backpack over her shoulder. She then picked up a small white purse and headed out of the bedroom, once downstairs she stopped at the double doors and looked into the house.

She hesitated before speaking out loud, "I don't know if it's you - it couldn't be you - could it? If it is, and somehow, someway, some form of you is here - watching, listening—I- thank you. You told me once you'd always be there—I guess that even death doesn't change that promise, huh?"

She unlocked the door and gripped the handle, pausing again as she choked out, "I miss you, Mamoru-sama."

She opened the door and left, locking it behind herself.

From within the kitchen, out of sight once the door was locked the kido slowly faded, revealing a boy who appeared to be 15 years old, with short chestnut brown hair, his eyes were closed, he wore a standard soul reaper shihakushō, white tabi and waraji dawned his feet and on his left wrist was a green woven bracelet, tied to his right arm was the thirteenth squad Lieutenant's badge. His fists were clenched as silent tears spilled down his cheeks. He took a shuddering breath before his chocolate eyes opened, and glanced at the close door. A look of regret coming over his features as he choked back a sob and spoke out loud mournfully, "I'm here, Rin. I'm so sorry."

"I told you this would happen," a female voice chastised.

"Yes," The boy agreed, he was now pressing his back against the wall as he held his forehead within the palm of his right hand.

"This has got to be the most fucked up thing you've ever done," Ichika scolded.

"Do you honestly believe I don't know that? Yet if I were to do nothing, she dies before anyone can reach her. I can't— _I won't_ —"

"But then the two of you would be together," Ichika reasoned.

"Yes—and no. When we're reborn as humans we don't retain any memory of who we were, the same as when a human dies and goes to soul society, they don't recall their previous life. I'd rather she continue to live a full life than join me," he stated.

"If I did just let things happen without intervening, she would die and join me as a human—but then it causes a chain reaction. Tomoya blames himself and gets discharged from the guard squad, Sora becomes distracted during a mission and makes a fatal error—so much blood, so much death. If I can stop that chain reaction, if I can keep her alive even if I have to do so remotely, I will," He answered.

Ichika shook her head, and crossed her arms as she continued to berate him, "I don't understand you. Why not just show yourself to her for fuck's sake? Do you know how hard it is to lie to my best friend every damn time I give her one of those infusions? She's going to figure out it's your reiatsu if she hasn't already and how the hell am I gonna wave that one off?"

"It's complicated," He replied.

"Time is a complicated Zanpakuto power, but not one she's not used to wrapping her head around. For crying out loud anyone who knows what your Zanpakuto spirit does knows you can travel back into time, just tell her for one brief moment two years before you passed on you were able to jump ahead in time, saw her struggling, and stuck around to help out before going back to meet your fate. How hard is that? You claim you love her, but you can't be honest with her. What kind of cowardice is that for a soul reaper of your social standing? Man the fuck up," Ichika concluded.

Mamoru gave Ichika stern look, "You sound quite like your father when you speak like that. What is the point of teasing her when I'm going to die?"

"Well good. Maybe it'll slap some sense into you. Whether you die or not is irrevelant. She's in agony because she's dealing with the death of a best friend and unrequited love. Think about it and consider more than yourself in that equation," Ichika shot back before heading off.

"You're not staying?" Mamoru asked.

Ichika glared at him, "I take my missions seriously and do my best to _not_ get side tracked. Unlike a cousin I could name—besides, the way I'm feeling right now if I stuck around you're likely to get zapped."

She phased through the door and left him to stew in his thoughts as well as the situation. He had stiffened at her words and inwardly cringed. While she was right, it stung to hear those things from her. He rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a defeated sigh and sliding down the wall. He was in deep and it was his own stupidity that had caused that deep pit to expand to its current size. The moment he'd appeared when the peacock wielder had shown up and attempted to kill her as well as Adrien, he shouldn't have intervened. He was the reason those quills had stopped in midair and landed on the ground. Strong as Rin is, he could tell by looking at her she was too weak to properly pull it off on her own. His Zanpakuto on the other hand, wasn't useless in that situation.

He ran his fingers along the green woven band around his left wrist.

 _ **Rin giggled a bit as she held out the bracelet to Mamoru, he chuckled before revealing a similar pink bracelet to her.**_

" _ **We're actually going to do this, aren't we?"**_

 _ **Mamoru nodded as he fastened the bracelet to Rin's left wrist, "Long as we're friends we'll continue to wear them. I'll always be there for you, Rin."**_

" _ **I'll always be there for you," Rin replied as she fastened the green bracelet to Mamoru's wrist.**_

 _ **He smiled as glanced at the bracelet, "I think that might be the most valuable thing I own now."**_

 _ **The white haired child before him gave a happy laugh and smiled brightly in his direction.**_

" _ **Friends forever," She agreed.**_

' _I am an idiotic coward,'_ Mamoru growled as his fist collided with the dining room wall.

"Class we have a new student today, please welcome Ichika Abarai," Madame Montclair stated.

Ichika bowed deeply before the class.

Madame Montclair looked over the seating plan before suggesting, "Ichika, why don't you go sit next to Rin, at the back."

"Ichika, where are you from?"

"Umm, actually I know Rin from Japan," Ichika answered, it wasn't a full lie. They did know each other.

"My best friend from back home," Rin agreed with a smile and nod.

 _'Maybe she'll cheer up a bit,'_ Chloe thought to herself.

 _'Another soul reaper? I wonder why,'_ Marinette thought to herself.


	9. Kiss her

Ladybug covered her face while Chat Noir held her in his arms and turned his back to the explosion, turning back around he noticed that Rin had shielded them both and was injured from absorbing the entire attack onto herself.

The white haired girl fell forward as the two superheroes gripped her under her arms and eased her to her a seated position.

"Chat, stay with her," Ladybug stated as she glanced around.

"No, you stay Ladybug, she's too injured to fight the hollow," Chat replied.

"What?"

"I can do this, but she needs treatment," Chat Noir answered before removing a small green pill like object from Rin's shirt pocket.

He popped the green pill into his mouth and separated from his human body, showing himself in his soul reaper form.

"I'll be back, my lady," He assured as he gently pecked Ladybug at the corner of her mouth before flash stepping away from the scene.

The gikon looked to Rin and knelt next to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

Rin coughed, causing blood to be expelled from her mouth and splatter onto the pavement, inwardly the warrior felt her pride shatter as she watched the evidence of her injury appear on the ground. She cursed herself as she thought, _'I'm fucking pathetic! Why am I still so weak?'_

Ladybug had been watching the scene and glanced over shen she heard Rin's cough.

"Rin, we have to get you to the healer," Ladybug encouraged as she tried to coax her into standing. They hadn't cleansed the Akuma in time, and it had become a hollow. A hollow that Adrien, and in all likelihood, Ichika, were now hunting.

Rin coughed again, causing more blood to be expelled from her body, she was definitely bleeding internally. She could feel it. One of her ribs had broken and punctured a lung. Even normal walking was dangerous at this point. If she moved, she'd certainly die.

Rin tried to take a deep breath only to realize she couldn't and shook her head 'no'.

Ladybug watched her body language before voicing her thought process, "No? What do you mean no? You're too weak?"

Again Rin shook her head from right to left signaling she'd guessed wrong.

Ladybug swallowed as she realized what Rin was telling her, "You're too injured?"

Rin nodded her head in agreement.

"Rin you can't stay here, you'll die for sure. The healer- " Ladybug started but then stopped when she realized what was happening. Rin was too injured to stay there, but too injured to move as well. The impact of that explosion would've killed both her and Chat Noir if Rin hadn't intervened. Even as weakened as she continuously claimed she was, the white haired teenager was still stronger than herself and Chat Noir.

"L-leave me," Rin gasped out as she fell to all fours before rolling onto her side, she inhaled sharply as pain travelled throughout her body. Breathing hurt worse than a thousand stab wounds, this wasn't good at all. She recalled her promise to the thirteenth squad Captain, Mamoru's Aunt Rukia, but she couldn't bring herself to force Marinette to witness what was about to happen.

"G-go. Lea-leave me," Rin ordered, her voice was barely audible as a whisper.

Ladybug shook her head with a fierce determined look coming over her, "No way. I'm not going to just leave you like this."

' _But I can't move her on my own either. The way she's declining, she'll die before we reach Master Fu,'_ Ladybug realized.

For the first time since she became Ladybug, for the first time after facing Stone Heart the second time around, Marinette felt helpless as Ladybug she quickly glanced around in a hopeless frenzy, looking for someone nearby to assist them but the street was empty. They'd ordered the civilians and the emergency services away from here.

' _Why are you still here? I told you to leave. You shouldn't see this. You're too young,'_ Rin thought as she watched Ladybug.

Suddenly the red of Ladybug's spandex faded to maroon, Rin realized her vision was darkening.

' _Marinette, I'm sorry you had to watch me die,'_ Rin thought as her vision became completely black.

She heard the superhero scream out for help as she slammed her hand down next to Rin's head, then nothing.

Ladybug glanced around in a panic, she felt her own respiration pick up as she scanned the street, yet nothing. Just buildings, no sirens, no other people around for miles, and for some reason she couldn't bare to pull herself away from her dying friend.

"Rin! Rin wake up," Ladybug shouted.

The white haired girl was pale as a bed sheet and slowly taking on a greyish complexion.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! Rin, wake up. You have to wake up, please," Ladybug pleaded she gently shook her friend.

"Move," A male voice stated as someone knelt next to her.

Ladybug shifted over and saw a boy about Rin's age, she'd guess, with chest nut brown hair, a creamy complexion, and chocolate brown eyes. He knelt on his right knee while the left knee was bent in a kneeling position. He placed both hands out in front of himself, palms up and open to Rin as his hands began to emit a gentle green glow. He was wearing a denim jacket, with an orange v cut tshirt underneath and blue jeans with white running shoes.

"Who are you?"

"A ghost," The boy answered as he watched Rin for signs of life as the glow continued to travel from his hands onto Rin's upper torso.

It was then that Ladybug noticed a green woven bracelet on his left wrist, nearly identical to the bracelet that Rin always wore.

' _That doesn't make sense though! He died,'_ Ladybug reasoned with herself as she continued to watch, her jaw dropping as she saw the physical injuries begin to close up.

"How are you doing that?"

"Kaido. It's like the kido spells she uses in combat, except Kaido is strictly limited to healing and replenishing reiatsu, which is a what grants a soul reaper their life force and power," the boy answered as he continued to cast the kido spell on Rin.

"I'm almost finished with her injuries but her reiatsu levels are very low. She'll need time to recover," He advised.

Ladybug nodded in understanding.

He swallowed nervously as he realized the spandex clad girl was staring at his left wrist.

He gave a defeated sigh as he nodded, "Yes. I am dead, and yes I am her friend that was killed in the line of duty. Take her to Master Fu's after I leave, it'll be explained there."

Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut in confusion but nodded in agreement, "Okay."

He stopped the kaido and returned to his feet, he turned to leave but stopped and turned back.

"The hollow is still out there. Be careful. I don't know you well, Ladybug, but I entrust you with the one who is most dear to me," He cautioned.

Ladybug nodded as she lifted Rin so the girl's head rested on her shoulder, her arm was wrapped protectively around Rin's wrist, "she's a friend. I won't give up without a fight."

The boy nodded in acknowledgement before running off towards Master Fu's.

' _He's in a gigai,'_ Ladybug realized before grasping her yoyo, she wrapped it around a nearby sign before hoisting herself and Rin up and swinging off towards the same direction.

Mamoru panted heavily as he entered Master Fu's studio, he collapsed onto the floor, sweat beading off of his brow.

Master Fu raised his eye brows in surprise as he watched the boy in front of him, "Well now, this isn't a sight I usually see from you, young Lord Kuchiki."

"Rin—injured," Mamoru panted out with a slight cough as he forced air back into his lungs.

Master Fu's eyes widened at the statement, "Injured? Where is she?"

"Right here," Ladybug answered as she landed in Master Fu's studio with Rin still unconscious, her head resting limply on Ladybug's shoulder.

Mamoru forced himself to his feet although his gigai's legs were aching and felt like the strength was fully depleted from them.

He gently scooped up Rin and laid her on the couch of Master Fu's living room.

"I'll go get my herbs," Master Fu announced as he headed towards the kitchen.

"I'll get the reiatsu infusion kit," Mamoru stated as he headed off to a bedroom.

Ladybug watched the two males busy themselves with methods of first aid while she watched Rin, gently moving a strand of hair that had fallen on the girl's face.

"Tikki, spots off," Marinette called out as the transformation dropped, the red kwami flew around to Marinette's shoulder and landed with a tired sigh, "These Akumas are getting stronger."

Marinette nodded and kept her eyes on Rin, "I know."

She gently grasped Rin's hand within her own.

Mamoru and Master Fu returned to the living room, Mamoru with a strange looking box while Master Fu held a bowl of steaming hot liquid with some herbs visible within the liquid.

"It's a tea for pain," Master Fu replied as he offered a chocolate chip cookie to Tikki.

The red kwami gratefully took the cookie from Master Fu and began eating it.

Marinette gasped as she watched Mamoru take what appeared to be almost like an IV from the box and jab it into his own skin.

"What are you doing? You need a doctor for that," she blurted.

"No. We all learned in the Academy how to do basic field first aid, this is a little more advanced, but when I first graduated I was a member of the fourth squad, it's the squad responsible for healing soul reapers. In essence, I have the same medical training one of your doctors would have," Mamoru clarified.

He then continued to set up the reiatsu infusion kit and began infusing Rin with his own reiatsu. Rin gave a slight whimper and shifted slightly.

"I'm here, my Lady," Mamoru soothed, his free hand coming up to gently cup the side of Rin's face.

'He calls her his lady? Wow. Just like Chat,' Marinette thought to herself.

She heard a soft chuckle coming from the male sitting next to Rin on the couch.

He gave her an amused look before explaining, "In Soul society, my adoptive father is referred to as 'Lord Kuchiki', or 'Kuchiki-dono' in Japanese, I am as well. There by, if Rin and I had ever had a chance to marry, she would've become Lady Kuchiki. Regardless—to me, she is worth of being a noble Lady. There is nobility of heart, and nobility of blood. Rin possesses a noble heart."

Marinette nodded in agreement and smiled as he spoke, "I see. That makes sense then. It's sort of like calling her your wife."

Mamoru nodded, "Precisely. That's one title I will never be able to call her and it's always pained me. So 'my Lady' would always suffice. I had a feeling as a young boy, even before I learned my Zanpakuto's abilities, that I would never age old enough to marry and father a child—though as Rin is well aware—if I were to have a child, I would hope for a daughter."

Marinette raised a brow, "Really? I thought a lot of guys hoped for boys to carry on their name."

"But a girl can as well. Doesn't your family name come from both of your parents?"

Marinette nodded, "Yes."

"There you go," Mamoru replied, his eyes becoming glued to Rin's face his hand left her face and his finger tips found their way to his own lips, gently rubbing them.

"Kiss her when she wakes up," Marinette suggested.

"No," Mamoru replied quickly.

"No, I mustn't. I must not give in," he repeated. From where she sat Marinette could tell that he was breathing heavily.

"You want to be with her, so why aren't you?" Marinette asked.

"Because I'd hurt her. I realize I'm hurting her right now, however – it would be worse if I gave in—"

"And then went back to your own time before you died and have to pretend to be just friends with her for six days before my mom's bankai turns you into an icicle?"

Ichika's voice cut through him like a sharp blade.

Marinette looked to Ichika, then Adrien, then to Mamoru, and eventually her eyes fell to Rin.

"Tell her at least," Marinette pleaded.

Mamoru blinked a little, "What? I couldn't do that to—"

"You're already hurting her," Adrien interrupted.

"Damn it I should take my own advice and tell a special girl just how special she is, but do you realize when I first met her she was going to let her self die in a hollow attack because she was hurting that bad? I had to shove her out of the way," Adrien raged.

Mamoru froze at those words looking as if he'd just taken a hundred punches in one blow.

"She hurt so bad just talking about you made her fists clench tight enough to cut into her own skin," Adrien continued.

"The worst part is, you have a chance now to make it right. To let her know how you feel, and you're just going to let that opportunity pass you by? We may have a similar ancestor but that's where our similarities end," Adrien growled.

Mamoru's shoulders sagged as he began disconnecting the infusion kit from Rin and glanced at Adrien with tears in his eyes.

"What if I can't control myself?"

Marinette and Ichika both gained shocked expressions.

"What if after everything here works out, I go back to my own time. Six days before I die, and I can't keep myself from kissing her? How much confusion do you think _that_ will create? I'll end up hurting her in the very way I never meant to, it destroys me I'm going to end up hurting her as it is," He defended himself.

From where she sat Marinette could see that he was discretely crying just at the thought.

"She's my one true friend. The only one who never saw the monster I was born of, and only saw me. I can't betray her like that," Mamoru answered.

"Mamoru, is lying to her any better?"

The question was simple, but poignant. The noble bit his lip a little and shook his head 'no' before confessing, "I'm always watching myself around her. Everything I say, everything I do. I slipped up once… twenty years ago. I kissed her. I'm still haunted by that."

"So kiss her again," the other four people in the room stated in unison.

"Stop being selfish," Adrien berated.

' _Actually, I should follow that advice too. Damn it,'_ Adrien thought to himself.


	10. switching languages

' _What's going on? I was freezing cold but now everything's warm. Am I dead? Mamoru—'_ Rin's thoughts played in a none sense sequence as her eyes began to flutter open meeting with a white ceiling.

"Ah, you've regained consciousness, this is good," Master Fu stated as he handed the bowl of now cooled tea to Rin.

Rin accepted the bowl and looked to Master Fu before commenting on the contents of the bowl, "willow bark tea."

Master Fu nodded in agreement, "even with the treatment you received, I'm willing to bet there's still some residual pain."

Rin nodded as she delicately sipped at the tea within the bowl.

After three sips however she sat the bowl down.

"Adrien and Ichika, were they able to get the hollow?"

"Yeah, turns out the Akuma was some punk kid who was upset that he couldn't go to a concert," Ichika answered from the door way.

"By the way, you scare me like that again, Snow girl, you won't be waking up," Ichika warned.

"Mind your tone third seat," Rin cautioned good naturedly.

Ichika offered a bright smile before she left the door way and shouted to the rest of the house, "She's up!"

"How long was I out?" Rin asked.

"Not long, a few hours," Ichika replied with a small shrug of her shoulders she cleared her throat.

Rin quirked an eyebrow, Ichika clearing her throat was hardly ever a light topic.

"There's uh—there's someone you should see," Ichika stated as she thumbed towards the doorway.

'They found Therese Agreste? I should debrief her before she insists on seeing her family,' Rin thought as she went to stand up and then fell back onto her behind when she saw the brown haired teenaged boy standing in the doorway.

"Wh-wha-what?"

"H-ho-how a-ar-are y-yo-you- you died. I-it—" Rin stammered before her expression turned to one of pure rage.

Ichika covered her ears when Rin demanded in Japanese, "kono jigoku wa nan'nano?!"

Mamoru's eyes widened at her response, _'I've never heard her swear like that before.'_

Rin grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a knife and threw it at Mamoru.

He ducked while signaling to Adrien and Marinette to stay back. The two super heroes stopped in the doorway and once they heard the racket, Adrien spun Marinette around and lead her back down the hall to one of the guest rooms.

Ichika was pale faced and pressed firmly against a wall while Master Fu had retreated to the kitchen.

Mamoru dodged a few more projectiles before leaping at Rin and grasping her wrists. The woman screamed in a feral fury as she head-butted him while growling out, "Oh I knew I was injured in that attack but this is fucking rich! Nice joke Hawkmoth, ya got me for a second!"

"Kissed you on the roof of the squad eight barracks twenty years ago," Mamoru stated calmly.

Rin stopped struggling against him as the grey storm clouds began to settle behind her eyes and met his warm chocolate eyes.

He wet his lips before continuing, "You had been avoiding everyone all day that day—yet when I sat next to you, you didn't run. We talked, we discussed why you were upset, and we exchanged embarrassing tales of the changes we were going through. You commented on how I was always faster than you. I stated that you were like a wild animal, untamed and unpredictable. Even as fast as I was, your unpredictability made you a force to be reckoned with and impossible to catch. You pushed me over with ease, and th—"

He was cut off by Rin's lips on his own. He hesitated for a moment before he returned her kiss, melding into it. After a moment, both pulled back, grey was scanning brown for any signs of deception, "it is you. How can that be? I lost you."

"Before I died, I told you that I would rather die that day, than live a thousand years without having known you. I also told you that I'd rather give up my life than watch yours end. That's the truth. What I didn't tell you was that I died with no regrets and right now I can't say that's the case. I died without you knowing something you should've seen… Rin—"

He took a deep breath before saying, "—Je suis amoureaux de vous."

His brain turned back on and made him realized he'd switched languages once again.

Rin blinked a bit before giving an amused giggled. It made sense now. Mamoru had always been multilingual but she was not. Multiple times she'd heard him speaking to her in a foreign language and she couldn't figure out why. Now she knew. It was his defense when he was nervous. His brain automatically switched to another language he knew just as well as Japanese.

Well she could now play that same trick, "Mamoru, tu es un idiot, mais tu es mon idiot."

Mamoru blushed a little before giving her a toothy smile and kissing her again, 'this is a whole new pain I'm going to experience, but if it gives her but a few fleeting moments of happiness, it's worth it.'

Cautiously Ichika poked her head around the corner and raised an eyebrow at the pair on the floor. _'Oh geez, that looks so appropriate, yeah just pin her to the floor and kiss her. God you're a moron,'_ She thought to herself before coughing loudly.

Mamoru felt his face flush as he ended the kiss and whispered something to Rin, she pushed him up and sat on his lap, facing Ichika.

' _Yeah, use your girlfriend as a barrier method. Smart move, not,'_ Ichika thought to herself

Ichika turned to Adrien and Marinette, her eyes grew wide at the sight. Adrien was kissing Marinette and she was returning his kiss, her arms around his neck while his hands rested on the small of her back.

'Someone take over for me! I'm surrounded by lovebirds,' Ichika desperately thought to herself as she shook her head before entering the living room.

"Alright, make out sessions over you two," she quipped.

"Oh yeah, that's totally it," Rin replied, rolling her eyes.

Rin sighed a little as she looked back at Mamoru he nodded his agreement, gently wrapping his arms around Rin's waist, he kissed the nape of Rin's neck before looking to Ichika and asking, "Where's Adrien and Marinette?"

"In the hallway getting started on the next generation," Ichika replied without batting an eye.

Rin gave an unamused glare before shouting, "Alright you two that's enough! Adrien let the girl have some air!"

It took a moment for the two very red faced teenagers to appear in the doorway.

Mamoru eyed his descendent before suggesting, "As much as it pleases me you two are quite willing, perhaps waiting until after university before beginning on the next generation would be best?"

"W-we weren't d-do-doing that," Marinette replied. Rin hadn't thought she could get any more red in the face until she actually did.

Mamoru gave a small chuckle before he out stretched his hand to Adrien and Marinette and introduced himself, "thirteenth squad Lieutenant, Mamoru Kuchiki."

Je suis amoureaux de vous = I'm in love with you.

tu es un idiot, mais tu es mon idiot = You're an idiot, but you're my idiot.

Kono jigoku wa nan'nano = what the fucking hell is this bullshit?


	11. Miraculous team Meeting

"There's something you and the rest of the Miraculous team should know," Rin started.

"First thing's first, they must be rounded up," Mamoru added.

Ichika nodded and replied, "Alright so I know Marinette's pal, Alya is one, whose the other two?"

Marinette gave quizzical look as she inquired, "Other two? How many miraculous are there?"

"Seven miraculous, seven miraculous holders, total," Rin replied.

"If today's Akuma is any indication, they will continue to get worse and lives will be lost. We're out of time to theorize, we must act," Mamoru stated.

"Okay so Marinette could go grab Alya, and then I'll grab one of the others and Ichika'll grab the last one," Adrien answered.

"Actually I was thinking Ichika could get Alya, Marinette could get the bee holder, and you could go get the boy we intend to make the turtle holder," Rin replied.

Marinette blinked before looking to Master Fu, "But the turtle miraculous is yours."

"Oh dear sweet Ladybug, as much as I do wish I could help I fear I am far too old. I'm older than Rin, Ichika and Mamoru… in fact I remember Rin's birth," Master Fu revealed.

Adrien stared wide eyed as he asked, "Just how old are you, sir?"

"I am one hundred and eighty seven years old my dear boy. The heart and spirit are willing to keep fighting, but these old bones are not what they used to be. It's best that I pass on my miraculous to someone much younger who can assist you, the thing is he is the one who must come to us. If I take off my miraculous I will be dead by tomorrow morning," Master Fu replied.

"The turtle is always the great Guardian for that reason. The turtle Miraculous provides extended longevity," Mamoru explained.

"Okay so who am I assigned to pick up?" Marinette asked.

Chloe eyed the red octagonal shaped jewellery box, she'd noticed it days ago but had yet to open it. Probably some other bit of jewellery from her father trying to buy her happiness again. Chloe sighed a bit as she opened up the jewellery box, deciding she might as well humour the idea. She eyed the golden comb and took out her signature peach comb from her hair. She then placed the gold comb in its place. and was met by an intense yellow glow, she shielded her eyes from the light, then slowly moved her arms away from her face only to be met with a delicate near squeaky voice, "Hi there, my name is Billie, I'm the bee Kwami."

Chloe blinked at the small bee like creature in front of her and squeezed her eyes shut before banging her head against a nearby wall while muttering, "wake up."

She banged her head again, "wake up."

Once more, "wake up."

' _Oh boy, this is going to be a fun chosen one,'_ Billie thought to herself as she wordlessly watched the blond girl nearly give herself a concussion.

Alya opened the jewellery box and saw a necklace with an orange, white and black fox tail symbol. She eyed it for a moment quietly commenting, "cool. I guess Marinette must've dropped it off on her way home when she had to babysit."

She took the necklace from the box and walked over to her mirror, unclasping the necklace she placed it around her neck then fastened the clasp. Suddenly a bright orange light filled the room. A small fox like creature now floated in front of her, "Hello, I'm Trixx."

Alya's jaw dropped and she raised a single finger pointing at the fox kwami, "y-yo-you're fl-flo-floating? Ha…ha-ha-ha-ha!"

She collapsed in hysterical laughter, holding onto her sides.

' _That's an unusual reaction,'_ Trixx thought to herself.

Nino sat at his computer listening to music through his ear phones when he saw something reflected in the computer monitor, taking off the ear phones he spun around and blinked a little, "Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"

"We need your help, Nino. Don't ask questions just yet okay? Just hop onto my back," Chat Noir replied.

"This isn't a dream Chloe," Billie coaxed as she pulled on her chosen's pony tail attempting to prevent her from actually harming herself.

"This is insane, how can an insect talk?"

"I'm not an insect. I look like a bee, but I'm actually a kwami," Billie explained.

"A kwami? What's a Kwami?"

"I grant magical powers to my chosen the same as the kwamis for Ladybug and Cat Noir," Billie replied.

"So, how do I become like them?" Chloe asked.

"You have an attack you can use that produces a very thick and sticky honey, once you use it though you'll only have five minutes before you transform back while you're Queen Bee you'll be able to fly and have enhanced speed," Billie cautioned.

"To transform, just say 'Billie, Stinger out,'" Billie concluded.

Chloe made a confused case before repeating, "Stinger out?"

Billie flew into the comb in Chloe's hair and engulfed her in a bright yellow light.

"Well, I see you've met your Kwami. We gotta hurry though there's a meeting," Ladybug stated from the window sill.

Queen Bee turned around and gasped, "L-Ladybug? D-did you see me transform?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes a little, "I kinda knew who you were before hand, Chloe. What else would I be doing here?"

"Well that's hardly fair. If you know who I am, shouldn't I know who you are?"

"Okay I'll give you two hints: I'm half-chinese, and you've been teasing me for the past five years in a row evens tuck gum on my seat the day that Adrien started at College Dupont Francois," Ladybug replied.

Queen Bee gaped at her before asking, "Marinette?"

"Don't think this was my choice. You were chosen for a reason, what reason, I don't know. Whomever made this call probably saw a side of you I haven't," Ladybug replied before signaling towards the window. She asked Queen Bee, "Do I have to carry you or can you do it?"

"I can actually fly. So, lead the way," Queen Bee offered.

Ladybug nodded before latching her yoyo onto a nearby pole and swinging off, Queen Bee took flight and followed her.

Alya finally calmed down from her hysterical laughter and sat up looking to Trixx who had just finished explaining a few things to her, "Okay so what do I have to do?"

"Just call out, 'Trixx, Sniff about'," Trixx replied.

Alya nodded and gulped before replying, "Okay. Trixx, sniff about!"

"Well going by the orange glow I'm gonna guess you've met your Kwami and can see me in this form now," Ichika stated from the window sill.

Volpina turned around to see her new classmate sitting in her room.

"Ichika? How long have you been there?"

Ichika gave her an unamused look, "Long enough to know if there was such a thing as a hyena kwami you'd be a sure fit."

The young soul reaper stood up and walked over to the new Volpina, "Look, I'm here to gather you for a meeting with the Miraculous team. Are you up to it or should I just sling you over my shoulder and do this my way?"

"I'll go, thanks?"

"Then keep up, I'm already slowing myself down considerably to give you the chance to," Ichika replied before she leapt from the bedroom window.

Volpina blinked a bit before taking out her flute and following suit.

Rin stood in her soul form, her pure white Zanpakuto with it's cat claw tsuba once again at her side.

"It's good to see you back to full strength, Rin-chan," Master Fu commented.

Rin gave him a cat like smirk, "It feels good to be back."

Mamoru placed a sad hand on Rin's shoulder, "You know I can't stay long after the battle, right? You'll be without me again."

"Please don't bring that up," Rin replied, tears forming in her eyes as she held Mamoru's hand.

"I don't want to think about it," She confessed, "Losing you was like losing a piece of myself that I need. I didn't recognize my own reflection anymore. Nothing felt right, not even breathing."

"Rin-sama," Mamoru whispered, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes.

He hesitated before asking, "would it—would it be easier for you if I left something of me with you?"

Rin nodded, biting her lip harshly, "All you gave me was your Lieutenant's badge before you died. All I have left of you is here."

She patted the pink woven bracelet, "but it isn't yours. Nothing is, really… there's not a single thing that I can look at and be reminded 'that's ours. We shared this.'"

Mamoru nodded in understanding, that's why it hit her so harshly that he was gone. There was literally nothing of him left for her to hold onto.

"I'll see what I can come up with," Mamoru offered as he gave her a quick kiss near the corner of her mouth.

"But know this, Rin Hisana Wantanabe, I'm glad I got a chance to see you here, in this time. I'm glad I could finally tell you how I felt and have you understand," He added.

Rin smiled and nodded with a slight laugh. It wasn't the first time he'd spoken those words to her, but it always in a foreign language she didn't understand. Having lived in Paris for the past 18 months had made her quite fluent.

Rin looked to the door way as the rest of the group gathered around.

"Plagg, claws in," Chat Noir called out, detransforming in front of the others, earning a gasp when Adrien appeared in Chat's place.

"Tikki, spots off," Ladybug called out transforming back into Marinette.

"What?! Girl, you never told me!" Alya ranted.

"You were trying to figure out her identity for your Ladyblog, why would she?" Rin replied.

"Billie, stinger in?" Queen bee asked but stayed the same.

"It's a little different for the Queen Bee to detransform, it's actually, 'Billie, wings off,'" Rin offered.

"Billie, Wings off," Queen bee repeated and transformed back into Chloe.

"Whoa dude, who isn't in my class here?" Nino asked.

"Uhh, Trixx settle down?"

Alya appeared where Volpina stood a mere second ago.

"Okay now I'm freaked out, what is going on here? Everyone's a super hero? Weird dude, totally weird," Nino muttered.

Rin covered her mouth as she let out a soft giggle.

A white object at her side caught Adrien's attention, "Rin, you have your powers back!"

"Yeah, finally. Took a direct reiatsu infusion from this lug over here," Rin replied, reaching up and tapping Mamoru's shoulder.

"How very flattering to be one letter short of 'slug'," Mamoru replied while rolling his eyes. This earned a snicker from Adrien.

"Alright, so why the big meeting here?"

"First, Nino, we'd like you to be the surfer turtle," Rin proposed.

"Surfer turtle?"

"Yes. You see as willing as Master Fu is to continue helping the Miraculous team, he's unable to transform anymore, his body just isn't up to it—since everyone here is someone you know, we were hoping you'd be willing to accept this charge," Rin replied.

"Sure, I'll help out. Righteous!"

'This might be a mistake,' Rin thought to herself.

Master Fu removed his bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Nino. "Your Kwami's name is Wayzz, to transform just say 'Wayzz, surf's up, however before you do transform the first time allow him to explain your new powers to you, they can be quite crafty to manage," Master Fu advised.

"Cool, dude," Nino replied as he fastened his bracelet on his wrist , causing the turtle like kwami to appear.

"I'll bring you all up to speed with what we know, and know that there will likely be a few more battles for you to get your feet wet with before you dive into the main event," Rin stated.

Chloe held her hands up, showing her palms to Rin as she spoke up, "Wait, how do you know about all of this stuff? What's with the outfit?"

"Well you see, the Miraculous were not created in this world. They were created in my world, where I was born. A place called 'soul society', in your terms, you've probably heard it referred to as 'heaven'. Five thousand years ago, a man within soul society who in later times would become known as Captain-Commander Yamamoto created the miraculous as a means of giving humans a chance to defend themselves against evil creatures called hollows as well as evil forces within this world. For a time, it worked. Until one of the Miraculous wielders turned against their team mates. It's the butterfly, the butterfly has always been problematic we believe it's the empathy aspect of the butterfly miraculous," Rin explained.

"So two thousand years later, when there was a situation similar to the one now, Yamamoto gathered up the strongest within Soul Society and created the thirteen court guard squads. What actually began to happen was Akumatized victims were dying while akumatized and becoming hollows immediately after passing, this meant the balance of souls was thrown out of balance. There were more people dying than there were being born. If we hadn't intervened back then it would've been the apocalypse," Mamoru added.

"And then about a hundred and fifty years ago, a little more than that now there was a soul reaper, which is what we are, who went so far bad that it caused a full out war between our world, your world, and another realm. All three were in danger, with some help and resources we were able to imprison that soul reaper, but not before he impregnated a spirit woman. She gave birth to twins, one to be raised in soul society, the other brought here to Paris France, and raised as a human," Ichika added.

"Along with the child, the family that was raising the boy were given two miraculous jewels to assist them with protecting him, should hollows or this vile excuse of a soul reaper came to look for the boy. The butterfly and peacock miraculous which were passed down from generation to generation, always the eldest male in the family received the butterfly miraculous while his wife received the peacock," Mamoru continued.

"That family, is the Agreste family – by now you've probably figured it out," Rin stated.

Four pairs of eyes landed on Adrien who blanched considerably almost matching his white button down shirt as he stammered out, "Th-the bu-butter-butterf-fly is – oldest male Agreste?"

Rin nodded slowly, her face conveying her remorse, "I am sorry, Golden Boy - Hawkmoth is your father."


	12. heart to heart

Adrien raced down the hallway to the washroom he'd passed, the pain within his stomach was increasing.

' _I'm not going to make it,'_ He thought a second later a strong arm grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him over the toilet not a moment too soon.

He retched loudly as the source of his discomfort erupted from him like a volcano. The arm that had thrown him, his saving grace kept a gentle hand on his back as his body convulsed with the force of his vomiting.

Eventually his stomach gave one final squeeze, expelling a yellow grimy feeling substance from him that he spat into the toilet. He wiped his mouth with the toilet paper but was too embarrassed to turn around.

"You're not the first one," Rin's sympathetic voice reached his ears, he recognized she'd been standing in the doorway. Just like a well bonded cat, she was never far from him.

"I think if I'm honest it's a completely normal reaction. Mine was astoundingly similar," Mamoru's voice chimed in from directly behind him and Adrien realized who had thrown him to the toilet at just the right moment.

"He was worse, actually - puked until he passed out, regained consciousness and resumed puking," Rin offered, giggling a little at the blush that now tinted Mamoru's cheeks. He regarded her before replying, "you're quite special to me as well, my Lady."

"Thanks," Adrien replied as his knees gave out from under him and he slid down.

"Sadly, I wish I could say that's all the bad news I have, but the rest can wait. I'm not going to push you any further. You're already at your limit," Rin revealed.

"My father is Hawkmoth? This whole time!?" Adrien screamed before aiming his fist at the nearest object and swinging. Mamoru easily blocked his punch and took the hit himself. Mamoru flushed the toilet as he sat in front of his young descendent.

"I can certainly understand your outrage," Mamoru began.

"How could you—"

"Think of what my Zanpakuto spirit grants me. I see time as it is in its entirety. I know the beginning , the end, the lies people tell me, the secrets they keep behind closed doors. I know who is truthful, who will speak up for those who are not present to defend themselves, and I know the ones who be little the ones they envy," Mamoru cut him off with a tense edge to his voice.

"I know what my father took from Rin's mother, Tama. I know my father murdered her parents right in front of her, and forced her to watch her twin sister be murdered by him. I know that Tama had an elder brother who rescued her that night, but in doing so died defending her. I know he was the first victim of my father's that was fed to the hogyoku. That disgusting orb that he hoped would grant him the power to rule all of creation. I know how it is to have a father so power hungry he'll sacrifice anything, even his own children," Mamoru added.

The chest nut haired soul reaper took a steadying breath as he concluded, "I've seen great evil, knowing I'm the spawn of the one who brought it forth. I also know how it feels to be shown great compassion, and then to fall in love with the person who is the product of unity from those who provided that compassion. The thing I feel most shameful for is that she returns that love. I feel shameful because I can't give back what was taken away. I can't give those things back to her, I can't make it right. I'll try and in doing so I'll begin the events that lead us to this moment. It's a loop, one that various versions of ourselves will play out for an eternity. I know that if it were not for the benevolence of Sojun Kuchiki, Tama would've bled to death in the streets of a very poor district called Inuzuri. You see, Sojun was the Lieutenant of the sixth squad, he and his father Genrei, were there patrolling when they came across a strong spiritual pressure and a panicked one. They raced to the scenes and found young Tama, barely alive, wrapped in her arms was the one thing she was able to keep that horrific night her family was lost—a teddy bear."

Adrien blinked as he listened intently.

"Tama didn't need to show me compassion, but she did. She made arrangements with Byakuya Kuchiki, my adoptive father, to have playdates. I'm a nobleman by name only—"

"Pfft. Right, I'm the Duchess of York," Rin commented with a roll of her eyes.

Mamoru gave her a questioning look.

"You have the nobility of heart as well, Mamoru. Or is it simply guilt that drives you to do all you do? I don't believe that if you're going to attempt telling me that. You had a choice like any of us, follow his footsteps or mark your own path. You chose to take your own path. That alone shows you do have some nobility within you," Rin stated.

"Quite a compliment coming from one of your lineage," Mamoru remarked.

Rin quirked a brow at him, "If you're about to spill out who my father is, save it. I don't want to know."

Mamoru chuckled, "You're intelligent enough to have figured it out on your own. Your suspicions may well be correct."

Rin cast a warning glare in his direction causing him to offer a knowing smile and concede, "When you're ready then, Rin-sama."

Rin smiled gratefully at him before heading back towards the others.

"She doesn't know who her Dad is?"

Mamoru shook his head 'no', but moved closer to Adrien as he whispered, "between us—it's a good thing I was adopted or the mutual attraction she and I share would be quite inappropriate."

Adrien smiled and chuckled a bit before nodding, "I'm glad I don't have to worry about anything like that with Marinette."

Mamoru signaled his agreement with a slight shrug of his shoulders and a smirk.

"You love her, don't you?"

"I'd die for her," Adrien agreed.

Mamoru nodded, "Then you and I are not much different. When I died in her life, nearly two years ago—she believed I was dying for soul society."

He shook his head, "I would give anything for her, including my own life. If it wasn't my life that was sacrificed it would've been hers. I couldn't bear it—but I made a mistake. I left unanswered questions, unresolved feelings that ate her alive as time went on. When I saw she was putting out more spiritual pressure than she was regaining helping you, and I knew why as well. She'd sworn to me that if I fell, she would take on protecting your family directly—currently the one most worth protecting is you—all I could do to keep her from killing herself in order to keep her oath to me, was make contact with Ichika. The reiatsu I provided her boosted her levels considerably but even that wasn't enough against the explosion she absorbed protecting the two of you. I should've been more direct. Only father has ever been good with indirectly protecting someone."

"What?"

Mamoru chuckled, "I know all of the most unfathomable gossip in soul society yet I never spoke a word of it to anyone, not even Rin. Byakuya Kuchiki has a soft spot for strong women. In particular, strong women who retain their gentle sweetness as well. While his wife, Hisana struggled greatly to survive, she did in fact survive living in the most poor conditions imaginable, and still retained her compassion. While Rin's mother endured a horrific trauma at a young age, she not only continued to love and trust those around her, but even before she picked up a sword, Tama Wantanabe would defend anyone she witnessed being wrong and at the same time would comfort and shelter anyone who was in need of it. Even going as far as being willing to adopt the son of the man who murdered her family. Rin is very much like her mother in that sense, but also quite like her father. She's stern, and unwavering when convinced she's right in her actions. She follows the laws we're governed with, yet she is not above bending them when she sees fit. She also succeeds quite well in indirectly protecting those dearest to her, a skill I, evidently lack."

Adrien sniffed the air before blinking a bit and gaining a very small smile.

Mamoru sniffed the air quizzically before his brows furrowed and glanced at Adrien as he asked, "Croissants?"

Adrien nodded and shrugged a bit, "One of the first things both Rin and Marinette learned about me is despite the strict diet my Dad put me on for modeling, I love croissants. It's probably my favourite treat, really."

Mamoru chuckled and nodded, "The night you became a soul reaper was the same night you told Rin that Croissants—"

"—Always make me feel better. It sucks you guys aren't human and a little older. I wouldn't mind having the two of you for legal guardians," Adrien finished his great-uncle's sentence as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Mamoru rubbed the back of his own neck without thinking then the two males looked at each other before sharing a light chuckle.

"Well, it's nice to know I'm not so weird in my family after all," Adrien admitted.

Mamoru shook his head 'no' as he replied, "You're a very normal boy from all I can tell."

"Uhh- thanks. I mean—"

Mamoru gave Adrien a small nod of his head and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze before voicing, "as I said before; I understand."

Adrien nodded and cleared his throat before leaving the washroom, Mamoru followed and his heart debated if it should soar or fall at the sight, Marinette had been the one baking the croissants, and Rin had made his favourite.

"I-is that Sukiyaki?"

The question seemed to amuse Rin as she inquired, "What does your nose tell you? Yes, before you ask, I did make it with mochi."

Mamoru felt his mouth water as he eyed the food.

Adrien was happily munching on a croissant, one arm around Marinette who was also enjoy one of the French pastries.

"You hate meat," Mamoru observed.

"But you don't. There's tofu, I'll be fine," Rin answered as she sat down.

"fair enough," Mamoru replied.

Master Fu and Ichika served up enough sushi and grilled chicken breasts to feed the rest of the group.

Chloe's jaw never closed as she took some sushi for herself, mesmerized by the fact it was authentically crafted in the very same kitchen Ichika had just left.

"I don't know why you're so surprised, Chloe. Rin, Ichika, and Mamoru are all Japanese," Adrien stated as he reached for another croissant.

Chloe blinked a bit before looking at Adrien, "Wait a minute… if your third great-grandfather was brought here from their world, doesn't that make you Japanese, Adrikins?"

"Would you like a medal? You finally figured it out," Marinette replied as she began eating her second croissant.

The honey haired girl then looked to Mamoru, "And why did you run after him when he took off? How did you think you could help?"

"The story we told you involved twin boys, you learned of what happened to the weaker of the two, meet the stronger of the two," Rin replied as she gestured to Mamoru.

Chloe's jaw dropped and she blinked repeatedly, covering her mouth with her hands, "T-th-then y-you-you're A-Ad-Adrien's-"

"Third great-granduncle," Mamoru replied.

"I'm not old so you know. Most Soul Reapers live to be nearing their thousands or well into their thousands. I am only one-hundred and fifty years old," he added as he began to eat.


	13. staying the night

Alya, Nino, Marinette, and Chloe headed home while Adrien sat on the sofa in the living room.

"Why not stay here the night?" Master Fu suggested, he indeed did not look well in fact he looked about ready to keel over right then and there.

Adrien gave a defeated sigh as he replied, "And what excuse should I give my father? 'Oh sorry father, I found out you've been my enemy for the past eighteen months and right now if I looked you in the eye I might try to claw your eyes out?'"

"Tell Nathalie you're staying with a friend. Crashing at his place and it'll be good for your social life," Rin suggested.

She nudged Mamoru, "He could step in and act as the friend you're with. Why not? She's stood up for you against your Dad in the past, right?"

Adrien bit his lip before dialing Nathalie's number.

Rin and Ichika helped Master Fu back to his feet and walked beside him, their arms linked with his towards his bedroom.

"Oh, thank you, young ladies, but I will be quite fine on my own," Master Fu attempted to insist.

The two soul reaper girls both gave him glances that said 'nice try. We're not buying it,' as they continued to walk beside the ancient human to his last sleep.

"Hi Nathalie, uhh yeah I know it's getting late. I was thinking of just staying at my friend's for the night," Adrien began.

"N-no it isn't Nino, or Chloe, or Marinette, it's a guy named Mamoru, he's right here," Adrien replied as he handed the phone to Mamoru.

"Kon'nichiwa—er—hello, deepest apologies," Mamoru fumbled slightly.

"Uhh no, Japanese is my first language, not French," Mamoru confirmed.

"Thank you, I had some time to practice since moving here. No, not many friends. Yes. Uhh they're at work right now. Alright. Of course. No certainly not," Mamoru was evidently replying to the terms and conditions of having Adrien bunking at his home.

"I see, yes alright. I will make sure they're aware however they likely will not be back until early in the morning. They're trauma surgeons. Yes, quite demanding. I'm not sure. Thank you—uh, in Japanese? Arigato," Mamoru replied before ending the call and handing the phone back to Adrien.

Adrien gave him a look almost like a kicked puppy before asking, "Well?"

"You're permitted to stay, however I am not to permit you to consume more than 1,500 calories in one day, you must be fed meals rich in healthy fats and proteins and low in carbohydrates, no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day according to her. I'd say we've vastly exceeded that already," Mamoru replied, gaining a playfully devious smirk towards the end.

Adrien smiled and nodded a bit as he shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, "Thanks for covering or me."

Mamoru shrugged it off as he headed to a room, beckoning Adrien to follow him. The blonde haired boy did in fact follow the brunette as Mamoru lead him to one of the smaller bedrooms. It was a much smaller bed than Adrien was used to, a single mattress with a steel bedframe and pine headboard, but not much else in the room.

Mamoru handed Adrien a pair of his own pajamas, "Just promise you'll keep your underwear on."

Adrien burst into a laughing fit and nodded as he made a grossed out face, "That would be a little weird."

"That would be the understatement of a century," Mamoru replied before resting his back against the wall.

"Uh I guess Rin and Ichika are going home soon, aren't they?"

"No," Mamoru replied.

Adrien blinked a little, "But then whose taking care of the mansion? If my father's Hawkmoth we can't just let him do whatever he—"

"A soul reaper has been assigned station for the night. He's being guarded, do not worry yourself sick over it," Mamoru curtly replied.

Adrien stopped fussing and nodded, "I didn't mean it like that, I just—this is a big adjustment."

Mamoru nodded in agreement, "Yes."

 _'But there are greater adjustments,'_ Mamoru thought to himself.

"So I'm curious, you and Rin- did you ever have a slumber party with her?"

"Not of an intimate nature, but yes. We've spent the night at each other's homes and even shared a bed," Mamoru answered.

"Were you kids or just not—"

"Both. We've had sleep overs since we were in diapers. There were times her mother would go on a mission. Father would watch Rin and her siblings in her stead," Mamoru responded.

Rin left Master Fu's room and headed towards them, "Well it took some convincing but he's letting Ichika stay in the room with him tonight."

"Why are you guys so worried about him?" Adrien asked.

"A soul with as high a spiritual pressure as his is bound to have will be a magnet for hollows," Rin replied.

"Ahh, maybe I should go stay with him then and—"

"Ichika has it covered, Adrien. Go rest. You've had quite enough excitement to exhaust even the most resilient person," Mamoru ordered.

Adrien hesitated before nodding and heading into the bedroom, "Good night."

"Good night kiddo," Rin called after him.

Adrien closed the spare bedroom door and blinked, _'did she just call me "kiddo"? That's new.'_

He quickly began to undress and change into the pajamas Mamoru had given him.

Mamoru and Rin sat on the bed in his room, her head was resting on his shoulder, while his head rested against hers. Their arms were wrapped around each other as they snuggled up close.

"Rin—"

"I know you well enough to know you only wear pajamas when it's freezing cold out," Rin stated in a whisper.

Mamoru smiled and replied, "Yes—but you know I won't."

Rin squeezed him closer to herself, "I know."

"Unless you wish for me to," Mamoru added.

Rin blinked before looking to him, "What?"

"I-I would. It's not like I never thought of it before—if I'm honest I—I probably use that fantasy more so than any other," Mamoru admitted.

Rin stared at him with a blank expression.

"You would excel at poker," Mamoru commented.

Rin let her shoulders sag, "But if I—how would I explain it if –"

"A time master fell in love with you. That's how," Mamoru answered as he cupped the side of her face. Rin gave a small smile as she kissed Mamoru.

* * *

"This place is disgusting," Yumichika complained as they wandered deeper into the cavern.

"It's certainly creepy enough, hey, Tama are you sure this is where your intel said she'd be?"

"Why, Lieutenant Hisagi, are you afraid?" Tama teased in good nature as she lead the two men deeper still into the darkness.

Yumichika cringed at the bat poop laying around and covered his nose, "Oh dear, I'll have to burn my uniform after this."

Tama turned, glaring directly at the complaining 11th squader, "Put a lid on it, Aysegawa."

Yumichika blinked a little before wordlessly following her, however he stopped when he heard a familiar roar, the two men drew their blades while Tama hurried off in the direction of the spiritual pressure they'd been seeking out.


	14. Unspoken truths

Adrien laid in the single bed in the small bedroom, he scanned through the photos of himself with Marinette, Rin was in a few of them but she seemed completely content to just let the two Parisian teens be in the photos together.

 _'It's almost like she knew Mari liked me,'_ Adrien thought to himself.

He blinked when he caught sight of one of the photos, he was looking directly at the camera, Rin seemed almost depressed in the background and Marinette was staring at him with a wide smile on her face.

' _I was oblivious! God I am a fucking idiot,'_ Adrien berated himself.

* * *

Rin cuddled into Mamoru as he nuzzled her hair.

"Sure you're okay?"

Mamoru nodded as he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek but cuddled in closer to her.

She stiffened for a moment when he did this, causing him to softly chuckle as he whispered, "Are you alright?"

Rin nodded and smiled a bit, "I guess you were happy to see me as well, huh?"

Mamoru quietly laughed half from embarrassment and half from happiness before suggesting, "I could roll over if you wish, and you could cuddle into me?"

Rin shook her head 'no', "I don't mind. I missed being in your arms."

Mamoru blinked and gave her a questioning look, "I never held you like this before."

"Not before you were deep asleep, no," Rin admitted.

Mamoru blinked before he burst out laughing and covered his face with his hands. 'All this time, I thought I was concealing how I felt about her adequately, yet when I was asleep I was cuddling into her. I'm an idiot,' He berated himself. His laughter quieted down and he uncovered his hands from his face.

He rolled back onto his side, propping his head up with his left arm resting against the mattress so he could his love in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Rin-sama. I never meant to tease you like that," He apologized.

Rin pouted as she replied, "You're teasing me now. I want your arms around me."

Mamoru blinked as he moved closer to Rin and gently wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her close to himself again.

The white haired girl sighed in contentment as she drank in his scent.

"I could give you a bottle of my cologne," He suggested.

Rin shook her head 'no', "It wouldn't smell like you. This scent—the scent on you, wouldn't be the same as the scent in a bottle. The scent on you is a combination of your soap, your shampoo and your cologne."

"That animalistic nose," He gently teased as he kissed her hair.

"I don't know yet what I can leave behind for you," He confessed but was surprised when she placed her finger over his mouth.

"Don't talk about that. Okay? Let's just—let's just stay in the moment. I don't want to think about going home without you," Rin requested, her voice threatening to break from emotion.

Mamoru nodded as he cuddled into Rin. He'd turned his back to her while she had changed into one of his shirts. It was a dark red colour, long enough to pass for a night shirt on her and more than acceptably appropriate, still the comment couldn't help but come into Mamoru's mind.

Attempting to lighten the mood again he regarded her before stating, "You look good in my t-shirt."

Rin smacked him with her pillow while laughing he returned the laughter as a pillow fight ensued between them.

' _Just like when we were kids,'_ he thought, as his heart became heavy with sadness, he found himself wishing he didn't have to leave her. As he felt this however he kept the same smile on his face, the laughter in his voice, and Rin could see the happiness gleaming from his eyes.

For the moment, just for right now, he'd enjoy his time with her without thoughts of the days to come.

* * *

The last of the hollows faded off as the men sheathed their blades. Tama held a blonde haired woman in her arms, the kaido beginning to take effect on her as she began quietly mumbling.

Though his hearing was usually exceptional, Yumichika had to hold his head close to the human's to hear her muttering, "Adrien… Adrien…"

"She's dehydrated and malnourished," Tama stated as she stopped the kaido and lifted the woman into her own arms.

"And a bit emaciated, but other than that she should be fine," Tama added.

"Let's get her some food then," Yumichika suggested.

Shuhei hesitated before opening a can of Vienna sausage he had in his kosode.

"Really? I don't know how you can eat that stuff," Tama remarked, sticking out her tongue.

Shuhei chuckled at her, through his black hair his steel grey eyes seemed to almost sparkle, "Why don't you try it?"

"Food should not be preserved in cans," Tama replied with a disgusted expression on her face.

Yumichika had to chuckle at the two.

The woman in Tama's arms gratefully took the opened can and began eating after Shuhei had drained the water from the can.

"She doesn't seem to mind," Shuhei remarked.

"When you're starving anything tastes good," Tama clarified.

Shuhei gave her an amused look, "Oh really?"

"Yes, really. When Sojun Kuchiki took me in, I was starving so much that I didn't care about urchins being offered to me," Tama replied.

Shuhei screwed up his face in disgusted expression and gagged a little, "Alright. Point made."

Yumichika shivered a bit at the thought but both men knew while their lives before the guard squads were hardly glamourous, Tama's was one filled with death and strife.

The woman finished the can letting it drop from her grasp.

Tama held her close as the three began making their way back.

"My son, I have to—my son's alone," The woman pleaded.

"No he isn't. My daughter's with him. He'll be alright," Tama soothed.

* * *

Ichika sat up watching as Masterfu's chest raised and fell, the rhythm was off from what it had been an hour ago and there was a rattling noise to it.

She gently opened a bottle of shiten, an anesthestic that the fourth squad used on soul reapers who were severely enough injured to require surgery to repair their body's ability to absorb and release reiatsu.

She gently placed a single drop of the green liquid onto Master Fu's cheek and watch as his body relaxedwhile his chest still struggled.

"I'm sorry I can't do more for you, Master Fu. You've been so kind to us this past century. You helped Tama when she was injured, you rushed over when she went into labour in the human world, you delivered Rin, Sora and Tomoya on a moment's notice, without any training… and always your door remained opened to us when one of us were here monitoring the hollows in Paris. We couldn't have asked for a kinder and selfless man to assist us. I just hope that you don't have any dreams that remained unfulfilled because of it," Ichika spoke as she gently ran a hand over the aged face of a man she'd seen slowly age over the course of her life time.

A few moments later his breathing stopped, and a spirit replica of him appeared at his bed side, his chain of fate coming from his chest had already been severed.

The plus spirit regarded her in a gaze of mutual respect before asking, "I have only one regret that perhaps you could help with?"

Ichika nodded, "I will certainly try, Master Fu. You have my word."

Master Fu looked to his top left dresser drawer, Ichika went to the dresser and opened it, revealing his will.

"Read the part about my residence," Master Fu stated.

Ichika read over the will before turning to him in shock, "—how did that happen?"

"You see, I left China not knowing that I was leaving my ex-girlfriend with child. To protect her, my best friend back home married her. Imagine my surprise when my granddaughter moved to Paris, and had a daughter of her own," Master Fu explained.

Ichika blinked before smiling a little, "I see."


	15. Meet the family

"Adrien! Adrien!"

His mother was calling to him as he raced towards her, yet every time she was within arm's reach he was pulled away from her. Her hand reached out to him, her emerald eyes panic stricken as she called out, "Adrien! Adrien!"

"Mom!"

Therese Agreste strained her arm out towards him as far as she could stretch while shouting his name again, "Adrien!"

"Mom! I'm trying mom!"

Something cold and wet fell onto his face causing the blonde to sputter as he sat up on the single bed he gasped as he looked around the room only to find Ichika rolling on the floor, laughing.

Adrien gritted his teeth at the red pineapple haired soul reaper as he growled out, "That wasn't funny. You can kill someone like that, ya know?"

"Good thing I can bring you back," she replied between laughs and snorts.

Adrien rolled his eyes in annoyance before asking, "Why are you waking me up? Where's Rin and Mamoru?"

"Debriefing the rest of the calvery, they asked me to come and get you," Ichika replied as she calmed down enough to stand up.

"Why?" Adrien asked with a questioning look.

"It's a surprise, come and see," Ichika replied as she beckoned to him while standing at the bedroom door.

Adrien groaned as he ran a hand through his hair and confessed, "After yesterday I'm not really up for any more surprises."

"I promise on my honour as a soul reaper, you'll like this one," Ichika pleaded.

Adrien quirked a brow before giving in, "Fine. Leave so I can get dressed? I'll be out in a minute."

"A minute or ten?" Ichika asked while wiggling her eye brows.

Adrien raised a brow at her before going red faced and throwing the pillow at Ichika's head, "Damn it! You're rude! Get out!"

Ichika laughed again before she opened the door, "don't worry. I don't go for kids, besides I got a boyfriend back home."

' _I feel sorry for him, having a no filter girl like that for a girlfriend, shit,'_ Adrien thought as he watched her leave and close the door.

Rin's eyes closed as she bit her thumb nail on her right hand. Knowing what she knew now confirmed her worst fear concerning the identities of their enemies and she could only begin to imagine how severely this would impact Adrien. He'd had an intense physiological response to finding out Hawkmoth's identity, and she knew enough to know he likely didn't know the truth behind his family's history even the secret she now knew Gabriel had hidden from Adrien since his birth.

Mamoru gently wrapped his arm around Rin's shoulders and pulled her in close, resting his head against hers, he looked to Tama and gave a defeated sigh before replying, "I should've been more active in this world. All of this was preventable. Every second of it. I should—I should alter it."

"You know as well as any of us that would trigger a cascade of changes, none of which are predictable. Adrien might never go to school if change things," Tama replied.

Mamoru closed his eyes, nodding in agreement as he thought to himself _, 'and if he never goes to school, the Agreste line ends with him.'_

Adrien slowly made his way to the living room and looked around, there was a woman with peach toned skin, indigo blue eyes, and white hair sitting next to someone who was covered with a cloak, Adrien couldn't see their face.

Then there was a black haired boy with indigo blue eyes, and peach toned skin, on his left leg sat Ichika, the boy's arms were wrapped around her. There was another girl who looked identical to Rin except her hair was pulled up into a bun and by the looks of it even with her hair down, this girl's snow coloured locks would only reach about shoulder length, possibly a little past. Rin's hair reached all the way down to the small of her back.

The shorter haired girl looked over at him, and yep she looked almost exactly like Rin, the hair was the only difference between them.

"You're Adrien?"

The question was less of a question and more of a method of attaining assurance to a statement. Adrien nodded, his hands were in his jeans pockets as he walked over.

"Uhh, what's going on?"

"Adrien, this is Tomoya—" Rin began, indicating the boy with Ichika.

"—Sora—" she continued, indicating her shorter haired clone

"—And my mother, Tama," She concluded, gesturing to the white haired woman.

Adriein offered a warm smile as he greeted them, "Nice to meet you all."

"Adrien, you really do take after your mother," Tama stated as she regarded him.

"Uhh, yeah, I do," Adrien replied with a hint of confusion to his voice.

"How do you know my mother?" He asked.

Tama thought for a moment before replying, "Well, Adrien, I'm sure Rin told you due to the nature of your blood line, a Soul Reaper has always watched over your family, yes?"

Adrien nodded and responded, "In fact that's one of the first things she ever said to me."

"Well the truth is from the beginning it's been one Soul Reaper primarily watching your family, aside from Mamoru—that soul reaper is me, " Tama revealed.

Adrien blinked a little at the information, seemingly at a loss for words.

"And you weren't delivered in a hospital as I'm sure you're well aware," Tama continued.

Adrien nodded, swallowing bit of saliva in his mouth before answering her, "Ye-yes, I know. I was born in April but there was a severe rain storm, almost like a hurricane and my mom went into labour early."

Tama nodded in agreement, "And when I sensed what was happening I went into our house, across the street from yours, built there intentionally to keep close watch on your family. I entered my gigai and went back over to offer assistance. I'd delivered a baby before, your ancestor, Alexandre, and I knew some basic first aid techniques to stabilize your mother if need be. I delivered you in your parent's bathroom. The water birth helped your mother cope with the pain of labour. My hands were the first you ever felt within this world."

She glanced down at the floor, "You see, I've always believed that no child is responsible for the sins of the parent. Each individual should be held accountable for their own actions or inactions. It's true that Sosuke Aizen caused me great pain but that burden was his and his alone to bear. None of his descendants are responsible for what he did. How could they be? That fool thought so highly of himself he would not have listened to anyone who told him the sky was blue if he believed it to be violet. It tore me apart that we had to separate his sons and have them live in different worlds, attempting to protect your world and our own in the process—"

"—yet in doing so, we may have very well caused a situation that would inevitably destroy this world, and our own," A male voice interrupted, revealing that a man who stood 5'11" with long black hair, steel grey eyes, an angular jaw, and pale skin tone had joined them. He wore hair pieces at the back of his head, and had a sort of white coat like thing over his soul reaper uniform with a high collar to the coat.

Byakuya looked to Mamoru before inquiring, "You heard her, Mamoru, or does your hearing need to be examined?"

Mamoru gave a small blush before shaking his head 'no' and verbally replying, "I heard her, Father."

Adrien blinked before looking back to Byakuya and recalling what Mamoru had told him last night. He clearly recalled Mamoru having said that it was a good thing he was adopted for the mutual attraction he shared with Rin would be inappropriate.

' _This guy, this guy is Rin's biological father,'_ Adrien realized.

"Adrien, did Plagg steal your tongue?" Rin's voice cut into human boy's thoughts before he shook his head and realized he'd been staring.

Instantly he remembered Rin's lessons in Japanese manners and bowed deeply to the man in front of him, "My apologies, Lord Kuchiki."

Byakuya regarded the boy before offering a small, gentle smile and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "It is forgiven."

Adrien raised from the bow and looked back to Mamoru, ' _Definitely not a biological child, there's no similarity in appearance.'_

He looked to Rin, _'but Rin…dye her hair black, change her eye shape a little, and she's literally the splitting image of this Captain.'_

' _And he's a Captain, maybe that's why the coat… what did Rin call them before? A haori?'_

Adrien redirected his attention back to the cloaked person sitting next to Tama.

"What's going on? Ichika said something about a surprise, but, honestly I'm pretty drained from the last surprise, still," Adrien asked.

The cloaked individual brought their hands up to the hood of the cloak, and pulled it back, gently. The individual's emerald eyes meeting his own. Adrien's mouth gaped open as his eyes went wide, and all air left his lungs in a state of shock.


	16. Like father like daughter

Adrien sat stunned as he listened, occasionally something would strike him so intensely he'd zone out. Luckily the story teller knew him well enough to catch onto this and would bring him out of his daze, making sure he was alright before continuing on.

After the story was fully exposed the room shook their head in disbelief. They knew the risks they took when they brought Alexandre Agreste to the human world, but none of them had anticipated something of this magnitude.

Rin had placed a friendly grip on Adrien's shoulder, steadying him. She regarded his newly reunited mother before asking, "Did you hear of any dates, that would help us out?"

"The peacock's birthday is three days from now, and it's likely that she'll strike then," Therese replied.

"Happy Birthday to Peacock from peacock, I suppose," Rin joked with a roll of her eyes.

"We must strike them before that date," Mamoru stated.

"Agreed, but at the same time most of the miraculous team hasn't had a chance to use their powers on an Akuma yet," Tomoya pointed out.

Byakuya inquired, "Must it be an Akuma they face to get used to using their powers?"

Rin blinked a bit as she considered Captain Kuchiki's suggestion, "Not necessarily, no. The Miraculous were originally designed for humans to be able to combat hollows."

Sora smiled at her sister and voiced, "So you're thinking like the Kenso practices the academy runs?"

Rin nodded as she added, "Sora, stop reading my mind it's a bit creepy."

"We're the identical set in the triplets," Sora reminded her with a wink.

"Preserve me," Tama remarked in a teasing nature as she flicked Sora's nose.

Sora giggled at her mother while Therese wrapped her arms around Adrien, and hugged him close.

"I'm so sorry you found out this way, sweetheart. I'm here now," Therese apologized as her son tightened his embrace on her.

' _At least you won't be alone,'_ Rin thought as she watched the two. As if he'd read her mind Mamoru wrapped his arms around Rin's waist, pulling her close to himself.

' _Konso Practice is one way for Alya, Nino and Chloe to learn how to use their new powers as well as for Chat Noir and Ladybug to train up a bit more,'_ Rin thought to herself.

Mamoru gently nuzzled into Rin as he asked, "Shall we gather them for another meeting?"

Rin smiled as she kissed Mamoru's cheek, "Maybe use a quicker method this time."

"Ah yes," Mamoru replied with a smirk as Rin and Sora headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"I'll text them," Adrien offered as he pulled out his phone and sent a group text to Marinette, Alya, Nino and Chloe.

Mamoru chuckled and nodded in acknowledgement, "that works as well."

Adrien quirked a brow, as he queried, "What other method were you going to use?"

"There is a kido spell that sends out a telepathic communication to several individuals at once," Mamoru explained.

Adrien's eye brows shot up underneath his bangs, and his eyes grew wide with shock before replying, "I think texting them will prevent them from questioning their own sanity."

"Quite true. Humans are quite delicate beings," Sora pointed out.

Adrien resisted the urge to face palm at that. He'd actually grown fairly used to Rin making such comments.

"You and Marinette, hmm?"

Adrien blinked a bit and then blushed slightly as he nodded, "Yeah, well… I don't know if you can know what it feels like. For the longest time I knew I loved whoever Ladybug was underneath her mask. I always knew my heart belonged to her but the more I got to know Marinette I just.. I mean she's so awesome! She's got so much talent with fashion design, she can bake. She's clever, she's kind, she's adorably clumsy. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little flattered at how much she stutters around me. I just… I can't really describe her. Ya know? She's just so…"

"Perfectly imperfect," Mamoru offered with a slight chuckle as he added, "I know what you mean."

"They have a way of doing that, and it just makes you swoon even more. You see the good and you see the bad, but it's all part of the package. You just love all of it. Ichika can be demanding, boyish even, and her temper's a force to be reckoned with, she's got a sharp tongue when she's angry at something someone's done, or is doing. The layer beneath that is she gets angry when people mistreat each other because she cares. She doesn't want to see anyone hurt, she's boyish because she grew up having to prove herself against her male classmates and show she's as capable a fighter as they are. She's demanding because she knows what she wants and she won't settle for less. She's feisty and I love it," Tomoya agreed.

"Rin's similar without the boyish qualities. She's kind, she doesn't mind showing her feminine side but she'll never permit herself to show fear or uncertainty, if she ever does it's because she's comfortable or fully desperate. She's reckless, she'll throw herself in harms way to protect someone else. Regardless of one's parentage, social status, race, or even orientation, she treats everyone the same. She's just beautiful," Mamoru admitted.

The white haired teen girls emerged from the kitchen with two trays full of steaming bowls of rice.

"Oh Tamago gohan," Mamoru moaned out, feeling his mouth salivate.

Adrien shrugged, "First time for everything."

The girls set the trays down taking a bowl each for themselves. Rin sat with hers and after eating half the bowl suggested, "I'm thinking since it's Saturday, why not have the Konso later this afternoon?"

Tomoya eyed her as he inquired, "You truly believe that Paris has that many hollows?"

"Everyone has their regrets, regardless of where they are in the world," Rin pointed out.

The raven haired boy shrugged his acknowledgement.

The peacock approached Hawkmoth as a smile grew on her lips, "are we prepared for it?"

"Yes, I should be able to succeed in this quite easily," Hawkmoth replied.

"Then let's begin," the peacock stated.

Hawkmoth smiled and chuckled a bit to himself, "So soon? Didn't you wish it as a Birthday present from your Uncle?"

"My Uncle and my subordinate," The Peacock replied, "If we strike them before they have a chance to prepare they'll be more vulnerable. Ladybug and Chat Noir will be beside themselves on how to help their friend and as a result will hand over their Miraculous willingly."

Hawkmoth chuckled a bit, "Oh you are so like your Father."

"I am and I'm not," The Peacock replied.

"Frankly I was reluctant to let Cat Noir's mother free, but it isn't as if she can stop what's going to happen. If what I've learned about hollowfications is true, the magnitude of negative energy that's emitted in Paris will be enough to risk their soul reaper friends as well," The peacock sneered.


	17. Practice

Rin grinded her teeth and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was hopeless!

For the past 10 minutes she'd watched as Queen Bee evaded attacks from the hollow but had yet to make an attack against it herself.

Out of sheer annoyance of the soiled brat's antics the soul reaper simply stated, "This isn't a video game, you know. It's looking to devour your soul. If it doesn't get yours, it'll get someone weaker than you. What if it was going after your friend, Sabrina? Step up and fight, Paris Princess!"

Chloe scowled at Rin before throwing her trompo with a streak of yellow energy flowing behind it right at the hollow. It struck the hollow's mask and Queen Bee watched in amazement as the hollow vanished.

"Alright. Let's get a few more in," Rin suggested before flash stepping off, Queen Bee followed suit, flying behind the soul reaper girl.

A question that had been plaguing the blond girl for a while finally materialized while she asked, "So is everyone a soul reaper where you come from or did you chose to be one?"

"Not everyone. We don't all have the ability to become a soul reaper. You have to pass an exam to gain admittance to the academy," Rin answered.

Chloe felt her jaw dropped as she exclaimed, "You have to take a test before you go to school? I'm never complaining about our education system again!"

Rin gave a slight giggle at the rich girl's response, before adding, "it isn't all that bad. You just need to be able to demonstrate you have the ability to master the combat skills required to protect others against hollow. I always had skill with controlling my spiritual pressure which made mastering kido, the spells I use, easy. Kendo wasn't much of a challenge either but it's the one skill I'm not really spectacular at. Sora's better with a blade than I am, but I can out kido her any day of the week. I'm strong enough to make my rank of my own accord and accomplishments, I'm proud of that."

Chloe nodded as the girls landed on a roof top. Rin quickly surveyed the area, while she was aware the Miraculous weilders were able to sense them a little as their super hero alter egos, they were still not as skilled at sensing them as a seasoned soul reaper.

* * *

On the other side of Paris, Mamoru and Adrien were doing much of the same thing. Something was bothering Adrien however and he suddenly blurted out, "So question for you, once this whole thing's done and we get the missing two miraculous back—what happens to you?"

"I go back to my time, and wait two weeks to die," Mamoru replied in a robotic tone.

Adrien's eyes narrowed, "That's crazy. How is it that someone who can control and manipulate time, even use it for time travel, dies?"

"It is the nature of all things and I must not abuse the power given to me," the chestnut haired boy answered.

"That stinks," Adrien grumbled.

"I have come to terms with my demise," Mamoru replied.

"For Rin. It stinks for Rin, Sora, Tomoya, Ichika, all of them. Everyone that knows you. What about Byakuya? He raised you as his own son," Adrien challenged.

"I'm well aware of this, and hope that they like many others before them can find comfort in the memories created among ourselves. It is the truth of all living things. Everything gets created, everything lives, everything dies. There is no method to stop this process and the unfortunate part of that is there will always be people left behind. The memories you create with them before you die become your legacy," Mamoru explained in a calm tone.

He gave a slight sigh before adding, "though I'm grateful Rin discovered me here, in this time. I could see how trying to live without me after knowing me for a century and a half was slowly destroying her. Figuring out why that is, allowing myself to not hold back seems to have helped her considerably. She would need something extra to continue to thrive however and that I'm not sure I can provide."

Adrien gave a small nod while voicing his agreement, "I'm glad you finally took the plunge too. I mean when I met her it was like she was trying to commit suicide by hollow. I literally pushed her out of the way just in time. If I hadn't—I don't know what would've happened. I don't regret that choice though. How I could I? It lead to getting the chance to go to school—to be Chat Noir. I'll always be grateful for that chance."

At this Mamoru's facial expression changed for a millisecond, at first Adrien wasn't sure he'd seen it but for a brief moment the time master's facial expression reflected fear and remorse.

"I have made mistakes. I hope I've been given enough time to correct those mistakes," Mamoru concluded.

Adrien gave a small smirk before heading off after a hollow, Mamoru following him closely.

* * *

Ichika wore an exasperated expression conveying far too well that she was irritated with her charge's attempts at the konso practice. Her exasperation turned into annoyance rapidly while Volpina attempted use hand to hand combat against the hollow.

"If you want to be this hollow's next meal keep it up, if not I suggest you use your weapon," Ichika growled out.

Finally after the hollow made a third charge at her Volpin swung her flute, extending it like a stave weapon and slammed it into the hollow's mask.

"Yay, she finally figured it out," Ichika responded with mock enthusiasm.

Volpina raised a brow as she watched Ichika, "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," Ichika replied as she gripped Volpin'as wrist, throwing the girl onto her back before flash stepping off.

' _I don't know, you seem pretty tense,_ ' Alya thought to herself while still in her fox themed superhero alter ego attire. She knew that Nino was being trained by Byakuya and Tama was working with Therese while Sora worked with Marinette.

Disdainfully Alya thought to herself, _'How did I get so lucky as to get miss Moody Firecracker?'_

Ichika's thoughts were on the last interaction she'd had with someone she'd hoped Byakuya would remove from the team and replace with someone else for the remainder of the mission.

 _ **Ichika stood with her arms crossed over her chest a soured look on her face. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. She hardened herself against the sting of betrayal that would at this point serve no other purpose than to empower their enemy. Her soured look quickly turned to enraged when the raven haired boy requested, "please say something?"**_

" _ **You're a selfish dick," Ichika spat out. A momentary look of hurt crossed his face before vanishing. The entire process had been so rapid for a moment Ichika questioned if she'd actually seen what she believed she saw. He shrugged his shoulders, avoiding eye contact with her.**_

" _ **I deserve that," Tomoya admitted.**_

" _ **Do me a huge favour on this mission, and every day after: stay away from me," Ichika growled before she left the room. The red headed soul reaper hadn't seen the broken look on Tomoya's face as he watched her leave, nor the tears that dropped onto the floor. Neither of them had noticed the purple butterfly that had appeared in the room.**_


	18. Alya's wisdom

Volpina and Ichika landed on a roof on the Western side of Paris. Volpina promptly left Ichika's back and called out, "Trixx, settle down."

Ichika gave her an irritated look ask she watched the human's transformation leave her. She gritted her teeth before snapping at her, "are you insane? Don't think I'm going to save your stupid ass if a hollow comes after you."

"Well you'd be going against your oath as a soul reaper if you didn't, isn't that right? I'm not doing one more minute of this until you spill it," Alya countered, placing her hands on her hips.

"Spill what? Green tea?"

"Whatever it is that's turned you into miss grouch of the universe and don't bother trying to lie to me girl, I got two little sisters and I can smell a lie a mile off," Alya clarified.

Ichika scowled at her, "Like you'd understand."

"I'm always up for a challenge, so try me," Alya pressed the red head who looked about ready to snap into a blind rage.

"Oh okay, you ever been cheated on? With a guy?"

Alya blinked a little before shaking her head 'no', "can't say I have. I can see how that would be upsetting though."

She sat cross legged on the roof top, patting the spot next to her, "So your boyfriend goes both ways huh?"

"It's like I'm not enough for him," Ichika growled as she sat down next to the human girl.

"Told him he's a selfish dick," She added.

Alya winced at that last comment before carefully replying, "While I can see where you're coming from on that, I also know his side of things a bit too well. Ya see, before Nino and I got involved, I had a huge crush on a girl at my old school. I go both ways too. It isn't easy navigating your feelings. Sometimes you end up having feelings for two people at the same time but the thing is one of them you have stronger feelings for than the other. That's the one you're really into the other's just a fleeting crush, a sort of fling potential. Doesn't really mean anything. You just have a physical attraction to them."

She glanced at Ichika, "I know he stepped out my question though is how far did he step out?"

"He kissed him," Ichika replied.

"Ouch. That does hurt, but a kiss is sometimes just a kiss. If he didn't feel anything from it and it didn't go beyond that I say forgive the idiot. He made mistake. You gonna tell me you never have?"

Ichika thought for a moment before shaking her head 'no', "I can't claim that. I've kept secrets from him. Nothing that I thought was huge like this. Things like being sick and still going into a fight. He flipped out on me. Found out later he was scared I was gonna get hurt."

"See? You're not perfect either. While risking yourself when you're not well isn't as obviously harmful to a relationship as cheating, even as relatively small a thing as kissing someone else, it's still damaging in its own way. It makes him worry that he can't trust you to take care of yourself," Alya offered.

"Just kinda playing devil's advocate here cause I can see both sides—I see why you're angry, and it is a perfectly valid reason to be angry. Same time though—"

"I can't claim I've never done anything wrong in this relationship either," Ichika finished for her.

Alya nodded in agreement.

"I told him to keep away from me," Ichika admitted before running her hands over her face.

"Ugh my temper definitely matches my hair," She grumbled.

Alya gave a small chuckle at the soul reaper before shrugging a little and asking, "Did he seem like he regretted what he did?"

Ichika hung her head as she confessed, "I was too angry to notice. I didn't even bother looking at him when I realized he wasn't even looking at me."

"He feels guilty over it," Alya confirmed.

"How do you know?"

"Been there, done that," the fox wielder admitted.

Her ears darted towards Master Fu's old residence as a cloud of smoke appeared there, "What is that?"

"It's a hollow, but—it—" she stopped and gasped as she felt her mouth go dry.

"Oh no!"

Alya glanced at the soul reaper, "what would happen if a soul reaper became Akumatized?"

"Can't be akumatized," Ichika replied breathlessly as if she was running a marathon while speaking.

"We're spirits, there's nothing physical to us. So that means that if an Akuma possessed an object being held by soul reaper we—we'd—we can't be akumtaized," Ichika rambled.

From a far off distance Tama, Sora, Rin, Byakuya and Mamoru glanced in the direction of Master Fu's old practice all of them sensing the same thing simultaneously.

Chloe looked at Rin's rigid posture as she stared off in the distance. The blonde haired girl approached Rin, placing a hand on her shoulder, as she called to her, "Rin?"

"Tha-that was T-To-Tomoya," Rin stammered.

"Okay so he's got Akumtized. We'll save him," Chloe attempted to comfort her.

Rin shook her head 'no', her eyes squeezing shut while she explained. "we're spirits, Chloe. There's nothing physical for us to be akumatized by. Even our Zanpakutos are made up of spirit particles. There's nothing tangible nothing to alter—" she paused to wet her lips and take a steadying breath.

After a few relaxing breaths she concluded, "if Hawkmoth sent an Akuma after one of us, we wouldn't be Akumatized—we'd be exactly like if one of the Akumatized humans died while the akumatization was still in effect—"

She swallowed harshly, a task that seemed difficult, as if her throat were too narrow for the saliva.

"—We would hollowfy."


	19. Venomous

Chloe flew after Rin as they headed towards where the explosion had occurred, landing before the Queen Bee, the soul reaper evaluated the scene before she leapt to the left and out of an oncoming attack. Chloe landed behind Rin, and looked up at the giant creature before them, it looked like a giant seashell but Rin quickly realized the danger and forced Chloe back up into the air, while she encased her own feet in ice.

Chloe looked to Rin in astonishment as she inquired, "What are you doing?"

"A hollow takes on the properties of animals or objects typically—this one is particularily dangerous if it lives up to its real life counterpart," Rin stated as she kept her eyes trained on the hollow. Slowly a snail head emerged from the shell, followed by a bit of the snail's neck, the hollow hole being revealed within its neck.

Chloe watched it from her position in the air and asked, "What kind of is it? Ugh it's gross!"

"It's a Cone snail, their poison is highly toxic. One drop will kill you in minutes," Rin answered as she leapt out of the way again. She noted that Chloe had flown out of the attack's path, and noted that the snail was spitting out a purple sludge from its mouth. She watched as the sludge ate away at the wall where it had connected.

"I don't want that sludge touching me either," Chloe noted.

Rin nodded as she quickly assessed the situation, there was one real chance to save Tomoya from the hollowfication but it would mean having to get close to him without falling victim to the sludge or the snail's poison.

A dart like object projected at Chloe from the snail's head.

"Watch it!"

The dart was met with the clank of steel blocking it, and Mamoru regarded the Snail hollow for a moment before pushing against the venom filled projectile.

'It figures that this hollow would use a poison based attack, Tomoya's Zanpakuto is one of the strongest poison types in soul society- in fact the coned snail makes perfect sense in every aspect,' Rin thought to herself as she watched the hollow aggressively press against Mamoru's Zanpakuto.

She charged at the hollow only for Ichika to beat her to the mark first. The red haired girl plunged her sword into the coned snail with her violet eyes over flowing with tears as she bellowed, "come back!"

A half second later the room was filled with a bright light as Ichika's spiritual pressure washed over the hollow, a black butterfly fluttered around nearby.

Chloe eyed it before swinging her Trompo at the butterfly, "Queen's Nectar!"

A splash of golden honey splattered on the Akuma pinning it to the wall.

"That was a risk," Rin observed.

"Couldn't let it akumatize someone else," Chloe pointed out.

"Very true," Mamoru agreed as he observed his cousin and Tomoya, noting that Ichika although having used her spiritual pressure to separate Tomoya from the Akuma, was holding him in her arms and sobbing.

Mamoru blinked, it wasn't like Ichika to cry. She was usually upbeat, loud, obnoxious, and devious, but crying? Crying just wasn't her.

Rin kept her distance as she watched the two.

Ladybug arrived a short moment later and looked around the room, "where's the Aku-" she stopped when she spotted the butterfly struggling to break free of the honey.

She smirked as she drew her yo-yo and went through her purifying sequence of catching the akuma in her butterfly net, and then releasing it from the yo-yo.

"I'm sorry," Tomoya whispered as he held Ichika in his arms.

"I'm so sorry. I was stupid," he repeated, clutching her closer to himself.

"I'm stupid too—I was hurt, yes, but you told me yourself. That does count for something," Ichika replied, wiping her tears with her hand.

"I need some time though," she added.

Tomoya nodded and agreed, "I think I can manage that. I just—whatever happens—we can be friends, right?"

Ichika gave a small laugh as she looked him in the eye, "You'd have to do worse to force me out of your life fully."

Tomoya gave her a relieved smile and hugged her tightly for a moment before letting her go.

"Well isn't this touching, but we're done with this little game you have going on," A voice behind them stated.

Rin emitted a low menacing growl from her throat as she spun and threw a shakkaho spell at the Peacock.


	20. Thank you

Three days after Tomoya had been hollowfied and Rin had lashed out at the Peacock, Adrien stood watching as his father, and the woman he now knew to be his half-sister, Nathalie were loaded into the back of a police cruiser. Grasping Adrien's shoulder, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze to assure him he wasn't alone was Therese Agreste, who now wore the peacock broach proudly on the broad strap left strap of her dress.

In their soul forms, Mamoru, Ichika, Byakuya, Sora, Tomoya, and Rin stood silently watching. From the side were Alya, Chloe, Nino and Marinette. Mari closely watched her new boyfriend's expression and body language as the car drove off with half of his family in the backseat. 'Oh Adrien, I'm so sorry,' Marinette thought to herself.

"I still can't believe it was them," Adrien almost whispered.

"We'll be alright," Therese assured her son, gently embracing her only child in a hug that left him resting his head on her shoulder like a frightened child.

"I will always be here for you now. Nothing will ever keep me from you again," Therese vowed softly to her offspring.

He smiled tenderly as he relaxed in her arms and admitted, "I'm glad you're back."

"It would be time for us to return," Byakuya stated as he opened a gate back to soul society and passed through, Tama glanced at Rin, giving her a quick wink before she followed her Captain through the passage.

Adrien tensed a bit at the sight and watched as Mamoru began to fade even to Rin's sight.

"My time here has come to an end. I must return to my own timeline," Mamoru revealed.

Rin nodded in acknowledgement, "I understand."

Mamoru gently cupped Rin's face in his hands, forcing her steel grey eyes to meet with his chocolate brown eyes.

He smiled softly at her, "No matter what you face in the coming years, remember, I will always love you. I would never intentionally hurt you. If it came down to you or me, I'd sacrifice myself for you. Always."

Rin nodded, "I'm glad I never had to make good on that promise I made years ago."

Mamoru gently chuckled and gave a small nod before his expression turned sad and serious, "Goodbye Rin. I am blessed to have had you for a time."

"I was the blessed one," Rin choked out, tears beginning to streak down her face just a second before Mamoru leaned in, ghosting his lips against hers before vanishing back to two weeks before the event that would end his life.

Rin bit her lip and hastily dried her eyes. She then realized the others had gone and turned to leave as well.

"Thank you, Rin," Adrien called to her.

Rin gained an amused expression as she let out a laugh and replied, "You fool. That's my line."

She turned to look at the blonde haired emerald eyed boy before continuing, "I felt like I had nothing left. My heart wasn't just broken, it was shattered along with my will. I didn't even recognize my won reflection. The day we met—I was taunting that hollow—drawing it towards me. I figured why should I keep living? My lifelong friend was gone, and he took a huge part of me when he died. What was left scarcely resembled the girl I knew. So I ran."

She gave a bitter chuckle as she confessed, "I ran, I hid, I disappeared. I hoped to die without anyone noticing. Then you pushed us both out of the hollow's path. You could only see a blurred outline but you weren't going to back down. In that moment – that one act—you showed me what I needed to know more than anything else. That good still exists. That even if my own world seems dark, there's still hope, as long as you seek it out.I still wasn't okay. I wanted to be alone, or I thought I did. No matter how much I pushed, you pushed back harder. You were determined, but why? You didn't know me. Eventually you took away the mask I'd grown accustomed to hiding behind, you found me in the darkest place I'd ever been. I confessed my sin to you, and still you didn't change towards me. I might've been your first friend, but I fear I wasn't much of one. You, on the other hand, were an amazing friend when I needed one the most. Thank you, Adrien—for reminding me why I became a soul reaper, and restoring my clarity."

She took a few more steps towards the open doors of the gate to soul society before advising one last thing, "Don't ever change. The world needs more people like you, Adrien Agreste."

Adrien blinked several times before he gave a slight chuckle and smiled at the exact spot where the gate to soul society closed behind Rin before vanishing from his sight.

"Alright, Rin—have it your way—but I'm still grateful too," He conceded.

~~~ 19 years later ~~~

A young man of 170 years of age frantically flash stepped across the bridge between his world and the world of the living, his hand was on the sheath of his Zanpakuto as he raced, his deep blue eyes were frantic and strands of jet black hair fell into his face as he ran. His lungs burned trying desperately to force air into them but he ignored the discomfort, pushing himself as hard as he could to make his destination in record time.

She had been in danger! He'd sensed it. They all had. Several Arrancar had surrounded her. He'd arrived on the scene with Ichika and Yoruichi to try to assist her but she'd ran to another world. He only hoped he was making the right guess in choosing this one to explore. Choosing the right world was only one part of the issue, the other was location! She could've gone to Karakura town, or another world entirely. Or he could be right and she'd be there, safe with both of them backing her up.

'Please be safe, Rin! Please,' He inwardly pleaded as he leapt through the other side, landing in the Agreste mansion, gasping loudly for breath.

"Tomoya," Marinette's voice greeted him.

"S-she here?"

Marinette's brow furrowed in confusion and realization hit him hard.

"She isn't. I have to keep looking," He stated before he opened another spirit world gate.

He was about to jump back through when he heard her panicked inquiry, "wait! What happened? Whose missing?"

"Rin. She disappeared through a spirit world gate. None of us know where she fled to—" Tomoya answered, pausing to steel himself before giving the worst news, "—we only know she was heavily injured, and she was followed."

Marinette's eyes widened while she dropped the portfolio she'd been carrying with her, its contents spilled on the floor yet remained unnoticed as the raven haired woman covered her gaping mouth with her hand in complete shock, her eyes welling up.

' _No! Not Rin,'_ Marinette pleaded, _'please let this be a bad dream.'_


End file.
